Nokia 870 Tablet Revealed

Images of Nokia's 870 internet tablet unveiled

Engadget has the scoop on Nokia’s upcoming successor to the previously released Nokia 770 internet tablet—the Nokia 870. The upcoming Nokia 870 internet tablet features a couple new enhancements over the existing 770.

New to the 870 internet tablet is an integrated webcam for video conferencing. Storage space has been upgraded to 180MB as well, though the operating system remains unchanged from the 770. Once again, the screen on the Nokia tablet is touch sensitive but the user can use the interface buttons for menus.

Additionally the Nokia 870 features more memory expansion options. An SD slot is available beneath the battery cover in addition to the previously available RS-MMC slot. Gone from the Nokia 870 is the dock which plagued, and annoyed, Nokia 770 users. Nevertheless, the Nokia 870 has an integrated desk stand and intends to bundle a leather case in the box. Also bundled with the Nokia 870 is a headset for VoIP services.

There is no word yet on pricing or availability, though we suspect our friends at Engadget will have more information any day now.

Cell-phone TV to reach mass audience in 2008, Ericsson predicts

By Mattias Karen, The Associated Press

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Watching television on cell phones will be a mass phenomenon in 2008, Sweden's LM Ericsson predicts, saying the maker of telecommunications gear will work closely with Sony of Japan to develop new media solutions for wireless connections.

About one third of the world's cell-phone users will regularly be watching TV broadcasts on their handsets in two years, which will open up lucrative opportunities for content producers and carriers, said Per Nordlof, Ericsson's director of Product Strategy, at a joint press briefing with Sony in Stockholm.

The two companies already have a joint venture, Sony Ericsson, for making mobile phones, but said they also see numerous opportunities for cooperation to cash in on the expected boom in mobile TV.

"It plays to the strength of both companies," said Eric Siereveld, Sony Europe's director of Professional Solutions.

The two companies demonstrated a number of solutions it thinks will soon become commonplace, including systems where video and pictures can easily be sent between a regular TV and a mobile phone, allowing friends and family members to share footage at the press of a button.

Such solutions -- based on the Digital Living Network Alliance, a cross-industry standard for allowing digital devices to share content through a home network -- could hit the market by the second half of 2007, Nordlof said.

Ericsson and Sony will also work together to create new software to power such DLNA-based home networks, he said.

Ericsson also announced a contract with Belgian phone operator Proximus to provide an end-to-end solution for mobile-TV broadcasts. The service includes what Ericsson hailed as the "world's fastest channel selector solution" for mobile TV, which lets users surf between channels by pressing a number key on the handset -- similar to using a remote control.

"This saves time and brings the mobile TV experience closer to that of a home TV experience," Ericsson said in a statement.

Nokia, DD to pilot mobile TV

Global mobility leader Nokia and national broadcaster Doordarshan will launch a pilot project in India for mobile TV. The technology known as DVB-H broadcast mobile TV will be based on Nokia’s open standard-based DVB-H solution.

The Nokia mobile broadcast solution will be delivered to Doordarshan via SHAF Broadcast in early 2007. During the trial, Doordarshan will test the reception quality of the broadcast coverage and explore the options of supporting different service schemes such as advertising and interactive services. The pilot project will also enable Doordarshan to gauge consumer expectations.

Mobile TV broadcasting allows the users to watch their favourite TV programmes. The service works by receiving a digital TV broadcast signal optimised for mobile devices from the air in much the same way as TVs at home do. Broadcast mobile TV is not the same as a streaming video service over 3G or GPRS where each recipient gets a separate copy of the programme stream. Rather, one simultaneous TV stream can be received at any time by any number of users enjoying high picture quality and low battery power consumption.

Speaking on the technology, Nokia s senior vice president, multimedia, Iikka Raiskinen said, “We are offering mobile TV on the DVBH platform in Vietnam, Italy and Finland and pilot projects are on in many other countries, including the United States. Since the feed is not distributed through the normal secular spectrum, the scarcity of bandwidth will not be a constrain in this case.”

According to Mr Raiskinen, there is a vast market for DVB H broadcast mobile TV in countries like India where a huge population uses the mass transport systems and the average commutation time is over 20 minutes. “The contents will be provided by Doordarshan and there will be lot of scope for interaction for the users as one single set will provide TV and mobile phone services.”

Though initially only the Nokia N 92 model will support the service, Mr Raiskinen said that with the increase in demand, the feature will be available on other sets as well. Commenting on the initiative, Nokia Asia Pacific multimedia director Jawahar Kanjilal said, “India has become one of the leading countries in Asia to deploy live broadcast mobile TV bringing the Indian consumers a step closer to watching their favorite programmes on their mobile devices. We are excited to collaborate with Doordarshan to enable their mobile TV services.

“This is a great opportunity for the vibrant content industry in India to take advantage of bringing TV into the pockets of the Indian consumers.” The pilot will use DVB-H technology, a robust broadcast technology now used to support several extensive field pilots globally.

It has been chosen based on its merit to support mobility, small screens, indoor coverage, optimised use of battery and in-built antenna that are specific to handheld devices such as mobile devices.

Nokia, DD to pilot mobile TV

Global mobility leader Nokia and national broadcaster Doordarshan will launch a pilot project in India for mobile TV. The technology known as DVB-H broadcast mobile TV will be based on Nokia’s open standard-based DVB-H solution.

The Nokia mobile broadcast solution will be delivered to Doordarshan via SHAF Broadcast in early 2007. During the trial, Doordarshan will test the reception quality of the broadcast coverage and explore the options of supporting different service schemes such as advertising and interactive services. The pilot project will also enable Doordarshan to gauge consumer expectations.

Mobile TV broadcasting allows the users to watch their favourite TV programmes. The service works by receiving a digital TV broadcast signal optimised for mobile devices from the air in much the same way as TVs at home do. Broadcast mobile TV is not the same as a streaming video service over 3G or GPRS where each recipient gets a separate copy of the programme stream. Rather, one simultaneous TV stream can be received at any time by any number of users enjoying high picture quality and low battery power consumption.

Speaking on the technology, Nokia s senior vice president, multimedia, Iikka Raiskinen said, “We are offering mobile TV on the DVBH platform in Vietnam, Italy and Finland and pilot projects are on in many other countries, including the United States. Since the feed is not distributed through the normal secular spectrum, the scarcity of bandwidth will not be a constrain in this case.”

According to Mr Raiskinen, there is a vast market for DVB H broadcast mobile TV in countries like India where a huge population uses the mass transport systems and the average commutation time is over 20 minutes. “The contents will be provided by Doordarshan and there will be lot of scope for interaction for the users as one single set will provide TV and mobile phone services.”

Though initially only the Nokia N 92 model will support the service, Mr Raiskinen said that with the increase in demand, the feature will be available on other sets as well. Commenting on the initiative, Nokia Asia Pacific multimedia director Jawahar Kanjilal said, “India has become one of the leading countries in Asia to deploy live broadcast mobile TV bringing the Indian consumers a step closer to watching their favorite programmes on their mobile devices. We are excited to collaborate with Doordarshan to enable their mobile TV services.

“This is a great opportunity for the vibrant content industry in India to take advantage of bringing TV into the pockets of the Indian consumers.” The pilot will use DVB-H technology, a robust broadcast technology now used to support several extensive field pilots globally.

It has been chosen based on its merit to support mobility, small screens, indoor coverage, optimised use of battery and in-built antenna that are specific to handheld devices such as mobile devices.

Nokia Says China Mobile Users to Rise to 500 Million

Nokia Oyj, the world's biggest cell- phone maker, expects the number of mobile-phone users in China to rise 11 percent to more than 500 million in 2007, boosted by rural customers in the world's largest market.

The country will add a further 160 million users from next year until 2010, Espoo, Finland-based Nokia said in a statement issued in Beijing today. China had 449 million users as of October, more than the populations of Japan and the U.S. combined.

Nokia and its biggest rival Motorola Inc. are increasing market share in China by selling low-cost models to the more than 800 million rural residents, taking advantage of faster growth in developing nations. Fewer than four out of 10 people own a handset in China.

``We have a fantastic opportunity here, both in the volume and the value of this market,'' Colin Giles, senior vice president for customer and market operations for the Greater China region, said in a statement.

China is Nokia's biggest market by sales, contributing almost 12 percent in the first nine months of 2006, and helping to offset slowing growth in Europe and the U.S. Revenue in China reached 3.4 billion euros ($4.5 billion) last year.

Nine-month revenue, including sales of handsets and network infrastructure, gained 45 percent to 3.95 billion euros in Greater China, which includes Hong Kong and Taiwan, Giles said. Sales in the region rose 29 percent to 3.85 billion euros last year, making up 11 percent of Nokia's revenue, compared with 8 percent for the U.S.

$45 Handsets

In the first nine months, Nokia sold 8 million units of its low-cost Nokia 1100 model, Giles said. The Nokia 1100 retails for about 350 yuan ($45). The company expects 120 million cell phones to be sold in China this year, up 26 percent from 2005. Of the total, 70 million are expected to be replacement handsets.

``We expect the growth here in China will continue to be very strong,'' Giles said. He reiterated Chief Executive Officer Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo's expectations that the global number of mobile-phone users will rise to 4 billion by 2010.

The company expects the number of global mobile-phone subscribers will reach 3 billion in 2007, a year earlier than previously forecast. More than half of the growth will come from emerging markets in Asia including China and India.

Market Share

Nokia said it sold 36.6 million mobile phones in China in the first nine months of this year, already more than the 32.5 million units sold for the whole of 2005. The company said it had a 35 percent China market share at the end of the third quarter, citing researcher GfK.

The company was the leading foreign mobile-phone maker in China in the third quarter, with a 36.6 percent share of the market, ahead of Motorola, which had 23.3 percent, according to researcher IDC.

In the third quarter Nokia handset shipments rose 19 percent from the previous quarter, compared with Motorola's 15 percent gain, IDC said.

``Nokia is making all the right moves by going to the rural areas and expanding its distribution,'' said Aloysius Choong, an analyst at IDC.

The company is expanding its distribution network in China to target the secondary cities and currently has 46,555 outlets in the country, a gain of 10 percent from a year ago, Giles said. The company also sells its products through 20 retail partners such as Gome Electrical Appliances Holdings Co., China's largest home-appliance retailer.

Motorola Models

Motorola, the world's second-biggest mobile-phone maker, yesterday said it may gain market share this quarter, helped by new products such as the Krzr.

The phone, a smaller version of the two-year-old Razr, along with the low-cost Motofone, which started selling in India this week, have been shipping at levels the company expected, Chief Executive Officer Ed Zander said at a technology conference in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Nokia today said it will start selling four handset models in China in the first quarter of next year. The Nokia E62 is customized to offer China Mobile's Pushmail, an e-mail service, will be on sale in January and retails around 4,000 yuan.

Nokia has has six research and development units, four manufacturing sites and four joint ventures in China.

To contact the reporter for this story: Janet Ong in Beijing at jong3@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: December 1, 2006 01:09 EST