New Innovative Smartphone launched by Ericsson

Ericsson announces Smartphone at CeBIT '99

HANNOVER, Germany 18th March 1999 - Ericsson today launched the second in their line of EPOC based Wireless Information Devices at CeBIT in Hannover. Incorporating advanced wireless connectivity, the R380 Smartphone increases further the range of EPOC devices that are becoming available to the consumer in the rapidly growing wireless industry.

Combining advanced mobile telecommunications and computing functionality provided by Symbian's EPOC platform, users of the R380 will be able to stay in-touch, in-formed, and in-control - wherever they are. Users will be able to check email, receive Internet content, manage their diary, send and receive faxes, and also have access to the rapidly growing market in applications and service developed by independent companies supporting the rich offering of Symbian Device Families.

"The Ericsson Smartphone demonstrates the power, functionality and flexibility of the Symbian platform." comments Juha Christensen, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Symbian. "Using Symbian Device Family specifications as blueprints, licensees are able to rapidly evolve powerful mobile solutions, which in addition to the EPOC software platform can include their own applications optimised for their target markets."

The R380 is the size of an ordinary mobile phone, with a flip-top keypad that opens to reveal a large landscape display. The ergonomics of the device are optimised for a variety of user inputs - including touch screen and handwriting recognition facilities. The R380 is the second phone in Ericsson's R-class, high performance products packed with user friendly features and new capabilities.

"R380 is first and foremost a mobile phone. We think that the form factor is essential for products in this category. By using a large display and focus on the user interface we have made it possible to handle a lot of functionality within a device that's no bigger than an ordinary mobile phone", says Jan Ahrenbring, Vice President Marketing and Communications at Ericsson Mobile Communications.

The Ericsson R380 will be available in volume during early 2000.

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Pictures of the new Ericsson R380 can be downloaded from: http://www.ericsson.se/pressroom/phli_p.shtml

Additional information about Ericsson mobile phones is available at http://mobile.ericsson.com

About Symbian www.symbian.com

Symbian owns, licenses, develops and supports the EPOC platform - providing leading software, user interfaces, application frameworks and development tools for Wireless Information Devices such as Communicators and Smartphones. Symbian aims to promote standards for the interoperation of Wireless Information Devices with wireless networks, content services, messaging and enterprise wide solutions. With headquarters in London, and offices in Kanazawa, Japan and the San Francisco Bay Area, Symbian is owned by Psion, Ericsson, Motorola and Nokia. Symbian's website can be found at www.symbian.com

About Ericsson www.ericsson.com

Ericsson is the leading provider in the new telecoms world, with communications solutions that combine telecom and datacom technologies with freedom of mobility for the user. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for its customers - network operators, service providers, enterprises and consumers - the world over.