October 14, 1999
No Longer So Humble, Cellphones
Now Offer Downloading, Filming
By GAUTAM NAIK and STEPHANIE GRUNER
Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
For years, the cellular phone has been a humble device, mainly used to
make voice calls. It is now being transformed into a multipurpose gizmo,
capable of viewing Web sites, videoconferencing and even playing music.
At the Telecom '99 trade show in Geneva, big manufacturers showed off
their glitziest models and most outrageous "concepts." A sampling:
ACCOMPLI
WHAT IT IS: Just when you thought a cellular phone couldn't get any
smaller, it has. Motorola demonstrated an early prototype of Accompli, a
wristphone. The company didn't plan on displaying the gadget, but word
leaked out and it became one of the more popular devices in the Motorola
lineup.
COOL FEATURES: The wristphone can store 100 phone numbers in its
memory. Thanks to voice-recognition technology, the user simply has to
speak the name of the person associated with the number, and the phone
automatically makes the call. Infrared technology also makes it possible to
wirelessly transmit phone lists from other devices, such as PalmPilots, to
the wristphone.
DRAWBACKS: Motorola isn't sure whether Accompli could become a
commercial hit, so it hasn't yet hatched plans to manufacture the product or
estimated a possible sale price. The prototype only works on the GSM
digital standard, Europe's prevalent wireless technology. And it's
stodgy-looking; no one would mistake it for a Rolex.
OTHER DETAILS: The gadget has a one-hour talk time and 25 hours
of standby time.
WEBTOUCH ONE
WHAT IT IS: An Internet device for dummies. This compact gadget by
Alcatel features a telephone and a screen for browsing the Internet. The
simple device is best suited for checking television and movie listings,
looking up the weather or ordering pizzas than for, say, prolonged online
shopping.
COOL FEATURES: A touch computer screen, multimedia address
book, color Minitel, smartcard slot and a discreet pop-out keyboard. It
also has a free Internet service and an e-mail program.
DRAWBACKS: You can't download music, or any files, as you would
on a regular computer. And the current version doesn't let the user surf the
Web and make phone calls at the same time.
OTHER DETAILS: Available first to French consumers by
mid-October, the device will cost a pricey $500. The simple Internet
screen display, multimedia address book, and color Minitel make it ideal as
a modern family's kitchen phone.
THE MP3 PHONE
WHAT IT IS: MP3 is hot these days. The technology makes it possible
to download music from a Web site to an MP3 player, a device that looks
like a Walkman. Now Korea's Samsung has gone one step further, making
a similar service available on a sleek cellphone.
COOL FEATURES: The MP3 phone can store around eight songs in its
memory and comes with an ear-microphone. Music can be downloaded to
the phone via a regular computer linked to a Web site. The download time
per three-minute song is about 20 seconds.
DRAWBACKS: At $500 a pop, this device is not a cheap buy. And so
far it's available only in Korea. Downloading songs from a Web site
requires access to a regular computer linked to the Web. It would be a lot
more convenient to download music directly to the cellphone wirelessly,
but the technology for that isn't yet commercial. And while Ericsson is also
keen on the MP3 idea, other manufacturers aren't planning to sell their own
versions of MP3 cellphones. "We prefer to sell high-volume items," sniffs a
Nokia spokeswoman.
OTHER DETAILS: Samsung plans to launch an MP3 phone for the
U.S. market by the end of the year. It will work on U.S. mobile-phone
networks that use the CDMA digital technology. A similar launch in
Europe, using the GSM standard, is scheduled for the second quarter of
next year.
VISUAL PHONE
WHAT IT IS: Matsuhita's glitzy-looking gadget with a tiny screen and a
miniature video camera. Using these phones, two people can conduct a live
videoconference over the airwaves, while simultaneously conducting a
cellphone conversation.
COOL FEATURES: The camera protrudes slightly and can be rotated.
That lets the user send a picture of, say, a business card to another user.
Developed by Matsushita's Panasonic division, the gadget uses the next
generation of wireless technology, known as W-CDMA. Panasonic also
showed off a pager-sized gizmo that included an even tinier screen and
camera. This product, dubbed the Videophone, is a joint effort by
Panasonic and NTT DoCoMo, a Japanese wireless provider. "It's still
under development," a Panasonic representative said, refusing to divulge
anything more.
DRAWBACKS: Third-generation technology is still in the test phase and
won't be widely available for two or three years. The pictures transmitted
by the Visual Phone suffered from a time lag; nor was the voice
communication as clear as that of a regular mobile phone.
OTHER DETAILS: The gadget weighs 55 grams. No estimated price
was available.
KIDCOM
WHAT IT IS: A future cordless leash for children by Nokia. Still in the
concept stage, the flat, egg-shaped devices come in two pieces. Junior gets
one that fits in his palm, or more likely, hangs around his neck like a
pendant. His parents get a slightly bigger one that allows them to page him,
leave him messages, remind him of meal times with a programmable alarm,
and track him down when he's lost. Both devices have global positioning
systems.
COOL FEATURES: The adult version features a detailed electronic
map. The size of a flat egg, it slips neatly into a breast pocket. Junior's
version has electronic games such as Tamagotchi and Pac Man.
DRAWBACKS: It won't be available until 2003 at the earliest. Its
existence depends on high data speeds, advanced connectivity, more
efficient semiconductor technology and GPS that works in conjunction with
the Internet, none of which is currently available. Showing off the product
at a trade show like Telecom '99 means it might never see the light of day,
as copycats beat it to market with something jazzier.
OTHER DETAILS: Still in the concept stage; prices aren't yet available.
Chuen Lee, a student at Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles,
designed it.
Write to Gautam Naik at gautam.naik@wsj.com and Stephanie Gruner at
stephanie.gruner@wsj.com |
