The QUALCOMM MSM3300 chip has the capability to integrate with flash memory, as noted in their press release last Thursday (see my earlier post), but it's going to take some time before we see new handsets with all these features, together with the base stations and data resources that can be accessed with these features. So I wouldn't expect much in the way of OEM sales to the handset manufacturers (such as Kyocera, Ericsson, Nokia, NEC, Motorola) in the near future. Certainly not until next fall.
I've also been monitoring the marketing efforts of Sony and its MemoryStick. No question that Sony is spending a lot more money here than anyone else. A magazine devoted to digital photography notes that the Memory Stick will be available this year with 64 mb, but not until next year with 256 mb. There are two things that might be important here. First is whether the Memory Stick will have substantially faster read/write times than CF or MMC. Second is whether the MemoryStick is cheaper or more expensive to produce than a comparable capacity flash memory. I suspect that there are no clear performance or price advantages here, and if so, that Sony, despite its huge marketing initiatives, will have a difficult time establishing its format for general use in digital cameras or music players. Any have more info on these issues?
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