THE NEC E606 is revolutionary, even though it looks much like any other mobile phone on the market.
While you might be impressed with the phone's large, high-quality colour display and the, not one, but two built-in cameras, it is what the e606 can do that breaks new ground.
This phone will be one of the first 3G phones to go on sale in Hong Kong. Hutchison Whampoa, the operator of Orange in Hong Kong, is expected to launch a commercial 3G service here before mid-2003 (it already offers 3G services in the United Kingdom, Italy and Australia).
So what's the big deal about 3G? Well, 3G, or third-generation, is like a new, improved version of today's mobile networks. You get faster download speeds, which allow you to access video content with your phone. You can watch movie trailers or sports highlights, and even make face-to-face video calls to other 3G users.
The e606 also plays Java games, has both SMS and MMS services and comes with 32MB of internal memory.
But the large colour screen and new technology means that battery life is limited to less than two days of standby (or about two hours talktime). With video calls, battery life is further shortened to about one hour. The e606 is also a bit on the big side, due to the built-in cameras and ability to make video calls.