Hutchisom confirms schedule slippage: displays pre-production handsets on empty network
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Hutchison steps out into the 3G world Handsets to go on sale by April include video phone and Sky goal highlights
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH(LONDON)
January 30, 2003
By Dominic White
HUTCHISON UK yesterday unveiled its high-speed internet "third generation" mobile phones for the first time in a move telecoms investors have been anticipating for three years.
Three types of handset will go on sale before the end of March, under the brand 3, marking the first test of whether the pounds 22.5 billion spent by UK operators on 3G licences in 2000 was worth the bother.
Hutchison chose the safe environment of its Oxford Street store to show off its phones. However, on first inspection, they packed enough of a "wow" factor to suggest they will become the next City boys' toys. Two of the pre-production handsets on display allow users to make and receive real-time person-to-person video calls using one of two tiny video cameras on either side of the phone.
These capture the person's face and the scene they are looking at - callers can choose which scene to display. The voice comes via earphones or a built-in speaker. The sound is slightly out of synch with the video and picture quality is variable. However, the quality on Hutchison's other "killer application" is more impressive.
It has an exclusive deal with Sky to send its customers highlights of Premiership goals minutes after they are scored. Clips of goals on the pre-production phones showed that a small screen is not as much of a barrier to viewing as some sceptics had thought. A bigger hurdle to enjoyment will be price. The NEC E606 and the Motorola A830 will retail at pounds 399, while the NEC 808 will cost pounds 449.
So far, 3 has announced two price bundles aimed at high-spending types. For pounds 59.99 and pounds 99.99 a month, they will be entitled to certain amounts of call minutes, downloads, e-mails, messages and video calls. Cheaper bundles will be announced soon.
Also yesterday, US mobile operator Verizon Wireless, which is 45pc-owned by Vodafone, said it was pulling plans to float because it was already generating enough cash.
Meanwhile, Britain's biggest network Orange reported a 11.4pc rise in annual revenues to pounds 17.1 billion as it added 1.1m new subscribers in the fourth quarter.
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Where is the next backslide past April?
LOL! |
