Gizmo Ground

An upcoming Sony Ericsson handset, significant because it promises to bring with it a 16.4-megapixel camera, the highest resolution in the industry, has been spotted undergoing testing at the FCC. Called the Cyber-shot S006, the handset would be the first to use Sony's advanced Exmor R sensor. The phone otherwise has a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 3.3-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. It's also waterproof.



The Exmor R sensor is back-illuminated so it has strong low-light performance, with ISO settings as high as 12,800. The sensor is a 1/2.8-inch example, which is smaller than the 1/1.83-inch sensor found in the Nokia N8 but may not lose as much image quality through its new technology.


The handset will arrive at Japan's KDDI this spring. KDDI handsets can roam on Sprint's network, so the S006 should work in North America, though no details about the handset coming stateside are known. It should be available in gold, pink and blue at KDDI, though the FCC handset is black.