Log in

View Full Version : Some 3G WCDMA phones for just now...



3g-g
25th April 2005, 09:27 AM
From the Jakarta Post:

http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailfeatures.asp?fileid=20050425.S03&irec=2


When the CDMA-based cellphone service was first introduced in China by China Unicom, one of the factors blamed for the slow sales was the unavailability of the handsets. While the network was already operating, there were just a few models of the CDMA phones around, and they cost much more than the ubiquitous GSM phones.

The industry has obviously learned the lesson. Not only that, the prolonged delay of the WCDMA networks, which is the third generation from the GSM crowd, has given cellphone makers such as LG, Motorola, Nokia and Sony-Ericsson some time to get ready with their cellphone products.

They know very well, too, that the 3G is another arena that they will have to compete for market share, and hence the race to bring 3G cellphones on to the market even when the service is not available yet.

Motorola seems to be leading the pack. It is reportedly planning to launch 16 different 3G models throughout 2005. In November 2004, this American company started its R&D operation in Singapore, which will design 3G phones for the regional as well as the global market. The Singapore center is the only R&D operation outside the U.S. and Japan.

By the way, are you already thinking of getting yourself a high-end 3G cellphone from Motorola? The best advice is for you to wait until the company puts its stylish E1120 on the market. Due to be released, hopefully, by the end of this year, this candybar 3G cellphone will feature a three-megapixel camera complete with a tiny light to increase the quality of photos.

Or, if you want a PDA that will work on the 3G Network, take a look at the Motorola A1000, which is already available here. It is very well-built with a 1.2 megapixel video and still image camera plus a large 65K color, TFT display. It also uses the Symbian 7.0 operating system.

Nokia, which is constantly churning out new models, has also been selling 3G WCDMA cellphones for some time. You may still remember the "leaf-like" N7600 that came out more than a year ago. Recently, we also took a close look at the sleek, dual-camera N6680, which has a very simple but attractive design.

What about Sony-Ericsson? During the hectic and crowded 3G World Congress, Jan Wareby, the company's executive vice president, launched two great 3G cellphones, the Z800 and the K600. The earlier is a flip model with a striking hinge design, while the latter is a boxy candybar model. Both come with a 1.3 megapixel camera and a flash. Both also feature a very high-tech look.

These are just a few models of 3G cellphones that have been announced, and some are already available out there. We certainly have other models from LG, NEC, Panasonic, Samsung, Sanyo and others, some of which are specially manufactured for certain operators such as Vodaphone.

One thing to remember when choosing a 3G phone is that you need one with good speakerphone capability or an included handsfree kit. The reason is simple. If you make a two-way video call, you will have to hold the device in front of you as you stare at the screen-and the camera. Now, could you imagine what the other party would see on his screen if you put your handset against your ear the way you always do when making a voice call? Your ear canal is unlikely to be a particularly interesting sight to look at.

Ben
25th April 2005, 09:58 AM
Wow, don't they love motorola! Moto's enthusiasm for 3g is a commendable one, and is probably driving a lot of 3g take up right now, their smartphones seem to have impressed customers so far.

Ben
25th April 2005, 11:14 AM
Right, that was from my phone, lol - it's a little easier to reply on a PC ;)

I was thinking earlier about the camera quality on mobile phones, and how Nokia recently got criticism for only bundling a 0.5megapixel camera with its 8800 priceyphone. What the recent megapixel war has detracted from is the real-world use of mobile phone cameras. They're intended, by Nokia anyway in most cases, to be used as an MMS tool rather than something for capturing lifelong memories. A great deal of these snaps are probably only viewed on screens a maximum of a couple of inches across, so does every single phone really need a superdooper camera?

In reality, better cameras tend to lead to more complicated phones as the software has to accommodate for the range of settings and features to make the best of the censor. Currently, even with a 0.5 megapixel camera, the phone will still shrink down your image before MMSing it anyway! A shift away from megapixel mania is definitely required, but what will be the new feature that allows us to compare mobiles?

Ah well, best get back to bracing myself for the 16(!) Moto 3G handsets... is there no god?