The first handset maker to launch its own channel in the bustling Android market arrived today in the form of Sony Ericsson. SE claims it is offering the channel so owners of their line of handsets have a place to find apps that are best tailored for their devices and will offer exclusives to users who opt to use the service.
Due to the fact that carriers are allowed the final decision to allow the channel or not, it won’t be on all SE devices. If a carrier decides to make certain handsets eligible, the software portal for SE will replace the familiar “My Apps” icon on a user’s Android Market screen.
SE plans to use the channel to provide recommendations on games and apps, push original apps from SE such as Timescape plug-ins, offer exclusive games and apps only available through the channel, and provide a space for SE’s development partners to market and promote apps and games.
SE’s sequel to the Xperia Mini Pro spotted in Chinese blog
While we’re on the subject, SE’s sequel to the Xperia Mini Pro popped up on a Chinese blog post, providing clean images of the upcoming QWERTY handset.
According to the post, the phone runs on Android 2.3 as the operating system with features including a 3-inch, 320 by 480 resolution screen, a 5-megapixel camera with 720p high-definition video, and a 1 GHz Snapdragon QSD8650.
The release date of the phone remains unknown.
