Sharp expects its total handset shipments, to grow 18 percent year-on-year to 13 million units in 2006, with 3G-enabled models accounting for 50 percent of shipments, said Noboru Hanioka, head of Sharp’s overseas telecom marketing division. By 2008, Sharp’s overall handset shipments should reach 20 million units, Hanioka predicted.
According to leaks around the web, Fujitsu-Siemens will unveil a high-end smartphone loaded with features at 3GSM in March. The T800 [ .jpg image ] will roll-out a QWERTY keyboard with a 240×240 display, rumored to be running Windows Mobile 5.0 Phone Edition on a 416 MHz XScale processor. Also predicted 64 MB of RAM and 128 MB of Flash ROM for storage the new unit will supposedly offer Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) and Bluetooth 2.0 as well.
Kyocera Corporation, along with its subsidiary, Kyocera Wireless Corp., and Nokia Corporation, along with its subsidiary Nokia Inc., today announced that they have entered into a patent license agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, Kyocera is licensed under Nokia’s essential patents, and some additional patents, relating to CDMA, PHS and PDC standards. Kyocera will pay royalties to Nokia for all Kyocera CDMA mobile phone and module products. Reciprocally, Nokia is licensed under all of Kyocera’s essential patents, and some additional patents, relating to all standards and covering all Nokia mobile phone, module and infrastructure products.
Toshiba Corp. has developed software that lets shoppers use their phones to check the reputations of products on the Internet. Shoppers only need to use the phone’s built-in digital camera to take a photo of the product bar-code label. The service will cover products that consumers are particularly concerned about, including consumer electronics products, food, books, CDs, DVDs and cosmetics. Commercial application is expected to begin in fiscal 2006 after further testing at electric appliance retailers and bookstores from February.
Sony Ericsson unveiled their latest Walkman handset today at CES in Las Vegas. The W801i comes with Quadband GSM 850/900/1900/850 and EDGE support, dedicated music buttons in the joystick like the W900. Specs include a 2-megapixel camera with autofocus and flashlight, 1.9-inch 176×220-pixel 262k color screen, Memory Stick Duo Pro slot and 20-MB of internal memory. This latest design, however, apparently lacks the FM tuner. Scheduled to be available worldwide in the first quarter of 2006.
Panasonic Communications have teamed up with Skype to develop Panasonic Internet calling products. As its initial offering, Panasonic plans to launch a Skype-compatible cordless telephone product that will enable select Panasonic cordless telephones to interface directly with Skype. With the new product, consumers will be able to make and receive Skype and traditional calls using the same Panasonic cordless phone. Panasonic’s future Skype-compatible products will give consumers access to Skype services including SkypeOut, SkypeIn and Skype Voicemail using a cordless phone and a computer running Skype.
