Ericsson unveils new water, dust, and shock resistant phone for adventurous peopl

Ericsson unveils new water, dust, and shock resistant phone for adventurous people For those who have been looking for a small mobile phone they can bring when going mountain climbing, hiking, river rafting, or off-pist skiing, their search is over. At CeBIT in Hannover, Ericsson unveiled a water, dust and shock resistant mobile phone with a futuristic design. This GSM dual band phone goes by the name R310 and is designed for active use and total control during all conditions. But you don't have to spend hours on a steep cliff in Chamonix - the R310 is just as good for an urban excursion on a mountain bike. Even though the R310 is built to cope with harsh treatment, it is a small phone that fits in the pocket and has all the features you expect to find in an Ericsson phone, such as voice control, vibrating call alert, and data/fax capabilities. Apart from being water, dust and shock resistant, the phone's features, functions and accessories have been carefully developed to fit an adventurous lifestyle. The R310 is Ericsson's second rugged mobile phone and will be available during mid 2000. "The R310 is aimed at people who enjoy adventurous activities, people who are comfortable on slippery roads and enjoy muddy rocks and deep snow", says Jan Ahrenbring, Vice President Marketing and Communications at Ericsson Mobile Communications. "But we know that there is also a much wider target group for these kind of products; many products, such as four-wheel drive jeeps, mountain bikes and diver's watches, have first been used by this audience and then been picked up by a broader market," says Ahrenbring. In 1999, the world's first water, dust and shock resistant phone, the R250 PRO, was launched by Ericsson. The R250 PRO is primarily a phone for construction workers, craftsmen and others who need a robust and reliable phone in their line of work. The R250 PRO also supports the GSM Pro system, which combines the advantages of private mobile radio with GSM. The R310 on the other hand is developed and designed for active outdoor people. The outside of the R310 is reinforced with rubber inlays to withstand harsh treatment and to provide a good grip that prevents the phone from becoming slippery when wet. The battery is housed within the phone and can easily be changed. Being a water-resistant phone, the lid has silicone gaskets and membranes from W.L. Gore & Associates that prevent water from leaking in. Equipped with membranes from the GORE ALL-WEATHER-series, the R250 and R310 are the first phones to utilise W.L. Gore and Associates' new concept. The R310 will be available in four colors: Bright Orange, Nautic Blue, Aquatic Green and Peak Yellow. One of the first things that might strike you when you see the phone for the first time is the Shark Fin@ antenna. It is moulded in a flexible rubber material to prevent the antenna from being damaged if the phone is dropped. To avoid getting dirt in the system connector of a phone, a protective rubber cover has been developed. The cover can be opened to facilitate easy mounting of accessories. The R310 is compatible with accessories for the 3V-platform that are not depending on the size and shape of the phone. There will be an outdoor adventure kit available as accessory, which contains compass, thermometer, magnifying glass and ruler, developed by Victorinox. The R310 will be shipped in a durable water-resistant packaging, which also can be used as a container for things that you want to keep dry and clean when you're out hiking. The container is made of transparent PET plastic and has a screw top that protects water from leaking in. R310 features include: * GSM 900/1800 dual band * Water, dust and shock resistant * Robust construction * Vibrating Alert * Data/fax * Stopwatch/timer * Games * Large full graphical LCD display * Built in battery * Voice control (dialling/answering/rejecting calls) * Multipurpose strap Two versions of the R310 will be produced. The R310s, and the R310sc which features a complete Chinese interface, which allows you to send and receive Chinese SMS messages and also lets you store Chinese names in the Phone Book. Additional information about Ericsson mobile phones is available on the World Wide Web at http://mobile.ericsson.com For photos of the new Ericsson R310, please visit; http://www.ericsson.com/pressroom/phli_pcoph.shtml 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. Please visit Ericsson's Press Room at: http://www.ericsson.se/pressroom FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Jan Ahrenbring, Vice President Marketing and Communications Ericsson Mobile Communications AB Phone: +46 70 590 9900 Bo Albertson, Marketing Manager, Information and Events Ericsson Mobile Communications AB Phone: + 46 8 764 1388, +46 70 510 0992 ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/02/24/20000224BIT00180/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/02/24/20000224BIT00180/bit0002.pdf