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Motorola

Motorola

Fujitsu, Mitsubishi Forge 3G Handset Alliance

Here’s one for the books: Symbian OS proponent Fujitsu and Mitsubishi (which makes decent handsets for the domestic market but is unknown outside of Japan) have announced that they are getting together to develop new FOMA handsets. The press release today appears to be dressed up in terms of Fujitsu offering its expertise to Mitsubishi with Symbian, but it also hints that the two will combine on hardware development too. Given the fact that Fujitsu is a leading proponent of Symbian, and that DoCoMo president Keiji Tachikawa hinted that Symbian will be the OS of choice, the announcement looks as if Mitsubishi has figured the lay of the land and jumped on the bandwagon.

Cell-Phone Inventor Touts Broadband Wireless

Cell-Phone Inventor Touts Broadband WirelessIn 1973 Martin Cooper, the inventor of the first portable handset, was the first person to make a call on a cell phone (from Motorola to arch-rival Bell.) Now he’s Chairman of ArrayComm, which has developed its iBurst Personal Broadband System based on adaptive array antenna technology. According to the company, iBurst allows mega-bit-per-second cellular bandwidth with much better efficiency than anything extant 3G systems can provide. In today’s exclusive WWJ interview, Cooper argues that 4G is already here; launches broadsides at carriers, engineers, and handset makers who have yet to fulfill the promise of wireless phones; and charges that, after “years of hype,” the industry has failed to deliver on 3G. He also relates his vision for the mobile space: “The Internet will engender thousands of different [mobile] applications.” This interview is a WWJ Classic. Full Program Run-time 17:38

3G Mobile Solar Power Solution

3G Mobile Solar Power SolutionThe 3G Mobile Forum 2004 was held at the Hilton Tokyo Bay, January 13-16, and attracted over 70 top-class speakers in what we construed was an attempt to hammer out where they think 3G is going. With such a treasure trove sitting on our doorsteps across Tokyo Bay, we couldn’t resist bearing our cameras down on some of the leading lights of the show. The following preview will give you a taste of the upcoming programs we’ll running over the next few weeks. Also included in this clip is a demo of a mobile solar power source that was on display from Korean startup Soleitec, they have this sleek and working re-charger ready to keep your mobile device running when the batteries are dying, all for $30. The device should be ready to ship in 8 weeks and they are looking for partners to sell this product. Our only advice: Don’t save this one for a rainy day! Full Program Run-time 6:13

China Unicom Signs 3G Network Contract With Motorola

China United Telecommunications Corp. (China Unicom), one of the largest wireless network operators in the world, has awarded the Phase III expansion of its Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) 2000 1X networks and upgrading of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) networks in the capital city and 12 leading provinces of China to Motorola’s Global Telecom Solutions Sector (GTSS), a leader in integrated communications solutions. The CDMA2000 1X Phase III Expansion Project Confirms Motorola as Biggest Network Vendor to World’s Third Largest Mobile Network Operator.

Japan Wireless 2004 Preview

Japan Wireless 2004 PreviewTune in for a WWJ exclusive year-end interview with IDC Japan Communication Research Division’s Senior Analyst Michito (Mitch) Kimura. In this video program, Kimura, a veteran IDC analyst, casts his eyes on the ups and downs over the last year in the world of wireless and takes a look at prospects for 2004. He details the strategy at Japan’s three carriers, NTT DoCoMo, KDDI, and Vodafone, and offers his view on the prospects for Japan’s ever-surging content business. Kimura-san also gave us his perspective on the continued evolution of 3G, handset replacement cycles, and – a favorite topic of ours – Japan’s first packet pricing war.

Fresh Fears Over CellPhones

The safety of cellphones has been called into question, again. This time the scientific community is paying very close attention. A Swedish study links mobile phones to brain damage, in rats, anyway. The findings have re-ignited a longstanding debate among scientists and cellphone manufacturers over cellphone safety.

3D Features at 3G Mobile Forum

Superscape, specialists in the development of industry standard 3D technology to deliver console quality, over-the-air (OTA) games on mobile phones, will be showing the latest additions to its portfolio at the 3G Mobile World Forum to be held in Tokyo (13-16th January 2004). In addition Dr. Mike Grant, Superscape’s VP Marketing & Strategy, will be joining other international conference speakers to give a paper entitled “Bringing global mobile brands into mobile gaming.” Superscape’s Swerve engine has been selected by such industry giants as Siemens, Samsung and Motorola as their 3D enabling technology of choice.

Motorola to Launch 3G Devices in Taiwan

Vowing to stay No. 1 in Taiwan’s mobile phone wars, Motorola announced it would roll out at least 30 new handset models next year in addition to the three sporty camera phones it unveiled yesterday. Its 2004 product portfolio might include at least two third-generation handsets, said Jonathan Hong, Motorola’s senior marketing promotion specialist in Taiwan. “In the coming year, we will be launching two to three models of our 3G phones. Everyone will be switching to 3G phones sooner or later. Motorola thinks it will happen in 2005 because there’s not enough content to make 3G devices attractive,” he said.

DoCoMo Plows $343.8 Million into 3.5G HSDPA

Signaling its seriousness to get its HSDPA (high-speed downlink packet access) network and concomitant mobile/smart phones up and transmitting in 2005, NTT DoCoMo said today that it is plowing 37 billion yen ($343.8 million) into 5 Japanese handset and network builders AND Motorola Japan Inc. What is immediately surprising about this move is that once again, as with yesterday’s media extravaganza on the new 900i phones, long-term handset partners Toshiba, and handset maker and major infrastructure builder Sony Ericsson are both missing. But it now looks like DoCoMo feels its time to start really kicking in the efficiencies to differentiate itself from KDDI’s WIN service both in terms of performance and, more critically, to faster recoup the considerable investment the company has made in 3G as it probably gears up for a packet price war with KDDI and Vodafone KK. And then, there is the leveraging of Motorola’s Linux links too!

Hong Kong 3G Launch Set for January

Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa said it will launch its 3G mobile telephone services in the territory next month. The company’s managing director Canning Fok did not give an exact date for the 3G services but announced details on pricing. The company set the price of new 3G handsets at 4,380 Hong Kong dollars (560 US dollars) and monthly subscription fees at 238-558 dollars, Fok told reporters. Hutchison will be the first operator to launch a 3G service in Hong Kong.