25/08/2010 By Sascha Segan ( Source: http://www.pcmag.com )

AT&T Releases Sony Ericsson Vivaz

Hot on the heels of the Sony Ericsson X10, AT&T on Wednesday announced the Vivaz, an 8.1-megapixel smartphone with HD video capture.

It will sell for only $79.99 with contract, after rebate.

Available in red or blue, the touchscreen Vivaz is a Symbian Series 60 powered smartphone, although AT&T and Sony Ericsson seem to be playing down its smartphone capabilities. Perhaps the companies associate S60 too closely with Nokia. In any case, Sony Ericsson has customized the interface heavily. The phone's features include Wi-Fi and a 640x360 resistive touch screen.

The phone also has GPS navigation, stereo Bluetooth, voice recognition, and social-networking apps built in. The camera includes geotagging, image stabilization, various autofocus options and smile detection. You can play your videos back on a TV with an optional TV-out cable.

The Vivaz does have one disappointing feature in common with the X10, though: it's already old. The phone was launched by Sony Ericsson seven months ago with a release date of "Q1 2010." You can see a video of the phone and check out the full specs on Sony Ericsson's Web site.

The Vivaz goes on sale on September 5.