Sony Ericsson today launched its first device based on a new version of the UIQ user interface for the Symbian mobile phone operating system. Launched in two forms - one black, the other white - the 1.5cm-thick M600 dual-mode 3G phone is pitched directly at the iPod generation.

The M600 offers tri-band GSM/GPRS for back-up connectivity and Bluetooth 2.0 for synchronisation and stereo headset connectivity. The handset sports a touch-sensitive 2.6in, 240 x 320, 262,000-colour display. There's 80MB of on-board memory, expandable using the MemoryStick Micro slot.

The phone has a QWERTY keypad that looks not unlike the two characters per key approach used on Research in Motion's Blackberry 7100 series. Speaking of RIM, the M600 also has a Blackberry-like jogdial for quick content and email selection, and it ships with RIM's Blackberry Connect push email software on board. It also supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, Visto, Seven and IntelliSync, plus POP and IMAP pull email accounts.

The device also ships with several VPN clients, and Word, Excel, PowerPoint editors to cope with email attachments. There's also a PDF viewer. Sony Ericsson is also bundling the Opera 8 web browser.

The M600 runs UIQ 3 on top of Symbian 9.1. It has support for MP3, AAC, AAC+, E-AAC+ and M4A media files, along with OMA DRM 1. Sony Ericsson said the phone provides an audio-out port via its dock connector - another nod toward the iPod world. Music can be transferred via USB 2.0, which can also be used to charge the battery. The phone operates as a USB Mass Storage device when connected, for drag-and-drop file transfers. The M600 has a 40-voice ringtone engine.

The M600 will ship in Q2, Sony Ericsson said. It did not disclose pricing. ®