It's game on for Sony Ericsson

Alright, so it’s not going to be challenging the N-Gage any time soon for the title of ultimate gamer’s phone, but Sony Ericsson’s new S600i is the closest any mainstream model has come to emulating Nokia’s innovative handset. With a range of features specifically designed for gaming, Sony Ericsson is unabashedly aiming the S600i at the youthful end of the market. Though when the Head of Sales and Marketing at Sony Ericsson, Jan Wäreby, describes it as having “a maxed out feature set to satisfy the daring fun-seekers”, we do wonder just how familiar the manufacturer is with the under 25s.

Still, PR spiel aside, it’s shaping up to be an impressive piece of kit. Its Sony Ericsson’s first rotating phone, following in the footsteps of Motorola’s V70. When closed, the screen covers the keypad and enables gamers to hold the phone sideways with a joypad on the left and action buttons on the right. You’ll be able to employ these controls almost immediately as the phone will be shipping with pre-installed 3D versions of Worms Forts: Under Siege 3D, Extreme Air Snowboarding and a new multiplayer version of Midway’s Gauntlet. When you need to make a call, the phone splits and rotates around the joypad to expose the number pad. Available in 3 colours, the S600i boasts a 3D chip to power the latest games, a 1.8” LCD screen (262,144 colours), a 1.3-megapixel camera, stereo speakers, FM tuner, Bluetooth and USB connectivity. Measuring 93mm by 46mm by 22mm, it’ll be arriving in stores this winter.