KDDI has just announced yet another 3G handset, dubbed ‘Talby’ [.jpg image], the third from their in-house Au Design Project. This super-slim fashionable unit, styled by Marc Newson, has a built-in antenna and is set to hit store shelves in Japan by December. It’s a Flash-enabled model with a QVGA screen, 2D bar-code reader, and BREW.
Japan’s NTT DoCoMo and Korea’s SK Telecom, South Korea’s biggest mobile-phone operator, agreed to cooperate in providing financial services because of the business growth potential, said Chai Young Hoon, a spokesman for SK Telecom, confirming an earlier Electronic Times report. Preliminary meetings are scheduled for this month and November, he said.
Bytemobile, the company dedicated to delivering pure, optimizedaccess to network operators, service providers and enterprises, today announced that NTT DoCoMo has deployed Bytemobile’s optimization solution in its core network to enable faster end- user access and more cost efficient delivery of applications such as web browsing and email. “The sheer volume of their data subscribers underscores the fact that NTT DoCoMo leads the world market with data services that offer a great end-user experience,” said Steve Livingston, executive vice president for Bytemobile. “We’re pleased that our optimization solution was selected for their network.” Bytemobile’s optimization solutions have been broadly deployed at more than 30 operators around the globe; the DoCoMo installation represents the first large commercial deployment in Japan.
Nissan Motor and NTT DoCoMo today announced that they would offer a new service that enables drivers to receive i-mode content on their mobile phones using their Nissan’s CARWINGS navigation system. This is the first time an automaker has connected its telematics services to DoCoMo’s i-mode. The new service, called Okutto-Keitai, allows drivers to receive i-mode digital maps and restaurant information corresponding to the area in which their car is located or destined. The service was made available for the first time on Nissan’s Tiida compact hatchback which went on sale on September 30.
According yesterday’s press release, KDDI will roll out FeliCa IC chip-enabled handsets by Q42005. DoCoMo launched four models that utilize Sony’s non-contact solution earlier this summer and has stated that all future phones must have this feature. The Mobile FeliCa system allows users to make small cybercash transactions; it can also be used as an ID pass to access secure areas and for marketing programs such as retail customer loyalty point programs.
Vodafone will call together analysts and investors today to showcase its top operations in a quest to restore shaken market faith in the world’s largest international mobile phone operator. Earlier this week, the company unveiled plans for a broader 3G mobile phone launch, with seven of the 10 new multimedia handsets aimed at Japan, where Vodafone has blamed its lack of a competitive 3G handset range for eroding revenues and profits as it loses customers to rivals.
