Ericsson unveils Symbian smartphone

NEWS Ericsson has announced the first mobile device based on software from Symbian - the company established last summer by the world's largest mobile players to develop Psion's Epoc 32 operating system (OS). The Swedish manufacturer says the MC 218 will work with any Ericsson mobile phone. It is not an all-in-one device - such the Nokia Communicator - but what has been termed an 'advanced mobile companion', allowing email, fax, SMS messaging and Internet functionality to be added to a GSM phone. Ericsson says its device will benefit from an OS that is "easier to operate, less power consuming, faster and more versatile than others are". The MC 218 will be OEM manufactured by Psion. Ericsson said it will be widely available from mid-1999. Symbian is owned by Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia and Psion.