Sony Ericsson Vivaz set to be offered with qwerty keyboard

The new Sony Ericsson Vivaz will be offered with a full qwerty keyboard, the mobile telecommunications firm has announced.

Also available on the qwerty edition will be enhanced touchscreen capability, designed specifically with users who prioritise entertainment, messaging and video in mind.

Daniel Sandblom, marketing business manager at Sony Ericsson, says: "Having announced Sony Ericsson Vivaz in January, we are now adding a sister phone that includes a qwerty keyboard, along with the touch screen for a superior messaging and entertainment experience."

The updated model – which will be known as Sony Ericsson Vivaz Pro – will allow owners to record and broadcast their lives in high-definition video.

It will also include the human curvature style which is set to become the standard design for all Sony Ericsson mobile phones in the future.

The qwerty keyboard is likely to be added as a slide-out function, while other features added to the Pro model are a 3.2-inch widescreen, the ability to upload content to YouTube, immediate access to online games and links to social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

Sony Ericsson Vivaz Pro will be available in either black or white and users can personalise their handset by downloading a number of applications from the firm’s partner PlayNow.

The release of the Vivaz was announced in January, following Sony Ericsson’s previous model Xperia X10, which was unveiled in November.

Lennard Hoornik, head of marketing at the company, said that Vivaz was a mobile phone which "offers beauty inside and out".