(keitai-l) Re: German i-mode user numbers

From: Petri Ojala <ojala_at_iki.fi>
Date: 04/27/02
Message-ID: <B8F0A06F.4CD2%ojala@iki.fi>
> i think i-mode may have had a better start in europe if it was
> concentrated on usability rather than multimedia. A slim stylish
> folding phone with just a bright monochrome screen but long battery
> life may attract us germans more than that mostrous "multimedia
> terminal" n21i.

Without some technical gimmics the introduction of european i-mode would be
even more difficult.

A 503-series i-mode phone is around 95-115 g and 93-105 x 47-50 x 21-27 mm,
standby time 210-470 h, call time 130-145 min.  If you compare that to e.g.
Nokia 8310 (84 g, 97 x 43 x 17-19 mm, standby 100-350 h, talk time 135-240
min) or SonyEricsson T68 (84 g, 100 x 48 x 20 mm, standby 165-290 h, talk
time 180-780 min), you'll notice that the current GSM models are actually
smaller than the i-mode phones and have very reasonable stand-by and talk
times (I believe in both cases the specs and reality are equally different).
So the selling point is really more in the features, how the colour screen
(if available) is used, what mobile services are built on top of the network
services etc.  

Funny though, I have considered both 8310 and T68 too big, especially the
thickness, and the i-mode phones are even worse.. ;-(

Perhaps the european i-mode should have been introduced in a more "virgin"
territory, like the Baltic countries, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, etc..

Petri
Received on Sat Apr 27 18:38:01 2002