Panasonic unveils Elegant Eluga (Japan)
Panasonic has announced the launch of a smartphone named ‘Eluga’. Name of the device is based on the concept of ‘elegant user-oriented getaway.’ By April 2012, the Japanese manufacturer will be marking its entry to the smartphone market in its homeland as well as in Europe also.
The launch of Eluga outside the Japanese shores will place it as the first high-end Android Smartphone making an entry outside its native place. The huge display of Eluga covers 66 per cent of device’s body and it weighs a 103 gm in total.
While sharing the information about Eluga, the company added that the device is waterproof, dustproof and very light. The company informed that the frame of Eluga is 123×62.0×7.8mm, protected by international standard
The device can sustain in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes and can keep the dust at bay for up to eight hours in desert like conditions. The technical features of the device includes Near Field Communication (NFC), 4.3-inch 960 x 540 OLED QHD display up front and a 1GHz dual-core Texas instruments OMEP 4430 processor on the inside.
The company has neither disclosed the release price of the device nor the OS version on which the device will be functioning. The device is expected to hit the US market after its launch in Europe.
Cisco and Logitech introduces Couch-to-couch video calls (USA)
LifeSize, a part of Logitech is aiming to build a High Definition Videoconferencing platform along with industry giants Cisco and Microsoft and will soon announce products for the consumer market.
According to sources, Cisco is planning the launch of an inexpensive home tele-presence product for personal use in US market. The services will be launched in conjunction with either Comcast or Verizon’s network facilities. The subsidized prices might range from US$200-US$500.
According to ATD, the big selling point for the company is the high-definition quality which is supposed to be very good. Cisco will use this selling point to contrast it to what will be its big competitor, Internet telephony and video-calling giant Skype.
If reports are to be believed, Couch-to-couch video calls are being introduced by Cisco and Logitech as the tele-presence systems of the corporate world and will become affordable for mainstream consumers.
The two companies will not be alone in introducing family video calling to the living room this autumn, Skype’s calling service which is already available on several models of high-definition TVs sold by Panasonic and Samsung. In November, video calling will be offered by Microsoft with the launch of its Kinect motion controller for the Xbox 360 games console. The device features a camera and an array of microphones.
NTT DoCoMo teams with handset maker to develop mobile OS (Japan)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Japan’s leading mobile operator, NTT DoCoMo has teamed up four Japanese mobile handset makers and an electronics firm to develop a new application platform which will be optimized for video and music use and will be compatible with the Symbian and Linux operating systems.
Sharp, Panasonic, Fujitsu, and NEC – the four Japanese operators, as well as Renesas Electronics are working on the platform with NTT. Compatibility of the platform with other open operating systems such as Android also is under consideration.
Second half of the fiscal year ending in March 2012 might witness the unveiling of the mobile phones incorporating the new platform.
In-flight mobile phone calls activated in Turkish Airlines
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Turkish Airlines’ passengers can now attend to their mobile phone calls during the flight. As per the contract signed between Turkish Airlines and ¬Panasonic Avionics, Panasonic’s eX2 In-Flight Entertainment and Global Communications Suite powered by AeroMobile will be installed to enable the passengers to have a full complement of in-flight entertainment and communication options available at their fingertips.
According to Temel Kotil, President and Chief Executive Officer of Turkish Airlines, Panasonic’s eX2 and Global Communications Suite will give the ability to tailor passengers’ experiences with live broadcast TV, Wi-Fi access for laptops and PDAs, as well as the use of mobile phones.
Over one million airline passengers have now used AeroMobile services since inception. On some flights, passenger adoption rates are exceeding 40%.
It is Predicted that Japanese Mobile Subscribers Will Reach 107.9 Million by the End of 2010
DUBLIN, Ireland–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sept. 15, 2006–Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com) has announced the addition of Japanese Mobile Market Forecast 2003-2010 First Half 2006 to their offering.
This is a regular report published twice a year. The report presents an analysis of future trends in the Japanese mobile market as determined through an examination of issues in each category during the first half of 2006 (from January to June). In addition, it provides a prediction of Japan’s mobile market until 2010 in consideration of future market conditions, Japan’s economy, mobile handset regulations, the movement of players in the segment, and the future lifestyles of users. The report also presents an overview of the development of the market since 2000.
For this report, we conducted primary and secondary research on the mobile operators (including newcomers) in Japan as well as using our own research methodologies to forecast the developments in the Japanese mobile market from 2006 to 2010.
In the first half of 2006 (from January to June), Japanese mobile operators focused on enriching their handset line -ups as market competition intensified in the face of a strategic alliance between mobile operators TU – KA and au, and the upcoming introduction of Mobile Number Portability (MNP). In particular, NTT DoCoMo and au, which enjoyed dominant positions in the market as the first and second largest mobile operators, respectively, grappled with rising challenges from competitors in order to retain their users. In March 2006, Softbank, having received a mobile business license from the government, took over Vodafone, heralding another large change in the landscape of Japan’s mobile market. Softbank is poised to introduce mobile services through Vodafone in October of this year with the launch of MNP in Japan. Such drastic changes in the Japanese mobile market in 2006 created a new turning point in the development of the industry.
Up until 2001, the Japanese mobile market posted double – digit growth with a penetration rate hovering around 50%. However, in 2002, the market became saturated and the pace of growth slowed. In 2001, NTT DoCoMo introduced 3G services in the market. From that time until 2004, more than half of all mobile users migrated to 3G. Currently, Internet access and new provisions for content have become common and essential services, while becoming a larger share of data ARPU. Mobile handsets, which have been the important voice and data communications tool, have come to play an integral part in the everyday lives of the Japanese consumers.
According to this report, the total number of mobile subscribers will reach 96.6 million, with a penetration rate of 75.6% by the end of FY 2006 (ending March 2007 in Japan). The Japanese mobile industry is viewed as saturated and its growth rate is falling year by year. However, it faces a turning point as value -added services are being developed based on the improvement of high- end networks, newcomers are entering the market, and a new market for the business users is being created by the mobile operators.
Currently, the Japanese mobile market is driven by several factors. For example, since 2005, easy-to – use mobile handsets with limited features have been released, targeted at seniors, and in late 2005 and early 2006, handsets with designs and GPS functions suited to children gained in popularity. Additionally, NTT DoCoMo and au successfully appealed to new customer groups while promoting family subscriptions, and handsets and tariff plans tailored to business users were introduced in 2006.
At the same time, Willcom, a PHS (Personal Handyphone System) operator, has continued to perform robustly in 2006, following similar results in 2005. After reaching a peak in April 2002, PHS began to decline and the ser vice held a weak position in the market delivering services to niche and data card users. However, in February 2005, Willcom debuted and put vigorous efforts into increasing the number of Japanese PHS users to 4 million by June 2006. Now, more and more users are utilizing Willcom handsets as second handsets, as Willcom has implemented attractive flat rate services for both voice and data communications, and smartphone type handsets. In considering that Willcom is likely to continue its strong performances and that PHS will remain immune from the ripple effects of the upcoming introduction of MNP scheduled for the autumn of 2006, PHS services are expected to influence future trends in the Japanese mobile market.
This report forecasts that the number of Japanese mobile subscribers will record 4.03% in terms of CAGR from 2003 to 2010 and reach 107.9 million by the end of 2010, taking into account various changes in the Japanese mobile market.
Companies Mentioned Include:
- TU-KA
- au
- NTT DoCoMo
- Softbank
- Vodafone
- KDDI
- Willcom
- Fujitsu Limited
- Mitsubishi Electric
- Sharp
- Motorola
- Panasonic Mobile Communications
- NEC
- BB Mobile
- eMobile
- IP mobile
Source- http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060915/20060915005284.html?.v=1
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