Sony Ericsson dropped two new high-end Cyber-shot imaging phones Sunday at their MWC press event in Barcelona, Spain.  The C702 and C902 are both candybar handsets with slightly different - and, frankly, somewhat confusing - specs.

The C702 features a 3.2mp camera, GPS with integrated geo-tagging (photos are automatically tagged with location information) and a splash- and dust-resistant housing.  Its higher-end brother, the C902, ups the ante to a 5MP camera with Face Detection, BestPic, Auto rotate, and SE's new "Photo Flash" lighting technology (including a light usable in video capture mode).  The C902 is also a mere 10.5mm thick and features a new slide-out camera mode that integrates the lens cover into the back panel of the handset.

Oddly, though, the C902 lacks C702's GPS and photo tagging abilities.  Seems like SE is positioning the 702 as the cameraphone of choice for sporty, adventurous types (GPS and water-resistant housing) whereas the 902 is the true imaging master.  Maybe they had to leave something out to keep the 902 so slim, but you'd think anyone ponying up for SE's top of the line cameraphone would want some GPS in the mix.

Both the C702 and C902 should be available in mid-2008 and will both come in UMTS 2100 and quadband GSM/EDGE-only versions.  The North American C702a will come in Speed Black and Cyan Blue, while the C902a will be available in Swift Black and Luscious Red, which begs the question:  What's the difference between "Speed Black" and "Swift Black," anyway?

Review the new Cyber-Shot devices at SE's MWC GSMA 2008 microsite from here.