Sony Ericsson brings 3G handset to T-Mobile

Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications took a baby step toward improving its position in the United States today by announcing its first handset for T-Mobile USA Inc.
The TM506, a 3G clamshell with a 2-megapixel camera and video, assisted GPS and stereo Bluetooth, offers tri-band GSM and dual-band UMTS – at least in the markets where T-Mobile has launched its 3G service, New York and Las Vegas. The handset also supports the carrier’s MyFaves service.
The device will be available next month, but no price was announced.
SEMC has struggled in the United States. The vendor offers only GSM technology, limiting its nationwide U.S. carrier relationships to AT&T Mobility and T-Mobile. And it has only three handsets at AT&T Mobility. The company’s more advanced handsets sell only through Sony Ericsson stores and a variety of big-box and third-party retail outlets, which don’t deliver the volumes associated with carrier channels.
In recent market data, SEMC does not appear among the top five vendors in the U.S. Globally, the company has struggled to hold onto its No. 5 position, as demand cools for its high-end handsets in Europe, a former stronghold. SEMC trails its rivals in selling large volumes of low-tier handsets in emerging markets.