Sony Ericsson developing P5i "ultimate" smartphone

Sony Ericsson is in the final testing stages for their P5i device, and an insider from Esato claims he was one of the beta testers. Sources describe the P5i as the ‘ultimate’ smartphone, which is quite a claim for a device that hasn’t even made its way to the rumor pipelines.

The P5i is rumored to feature a 2.8″ touchscreen, HSUPA internet connectivity, WiFi, and a 5MP camera with flash and auto-focus. While information on the P5i remains very scant so far, rumors also seem to point to the device containing GPS support. The source who says they were one of the testers has even designed a mock-up of what he remembers the phone to look like. The mock-up shows a different interface than the typical Sony Ericsson UIQ, more so resembling Sony’s Cross Media Bar (XMB) interface.

If rumors hold up, this phone will be officialy announced November 15, though the phone won’t be readily available until May or June of next year. No news yet if the phone will be integrated for North America HSPA networks.