appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

liveArticle

appConfig

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sectionsV2

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

json

Georgina Lee

When Hutchison Whampoa launched 3G services worldwide in March last year, critics said the group had come to market far too early: the first generation of handsets was bulky and the battery went flat after a few hours of use.

This held back other operators, which were afraid early consumer disappointment with 3G would be difficult to undo.

But 18 months later it is a different story, with operators such as Vodafone and Orange in Europe and Smartone in Hong Kong entering the market, encouraged by better quality 3G handsets and more choices.

According to Jean-Pierre Bienaime, chairman of the UMTS Forum, there are now more than 80 handsets and data cards based on W-CDMA.

Hutchison may have stumbled with its early handsets,  but the LG 8120  - a slim, light-weight clamshell model - helped the group's global subscriber growth this year.  Most market watchers expect the group to sign up six million subscribers by the end of the year,   up from 3.2 million in August.

Motorola's  early models for Hutchison - the bulky A830,  A835  and A920  - were considered first-generation handsets, according to Liew Sze Thai,  director of Asia 3G  business development.

But the recently launched Motorola A1000  is not any smaller. Motorola said this was because the A1000 was a 3G smart phone and required a bigger screen for document display.

The model,  available to Hutchison 3G subscribers in Italy, is expected to be available in Hong Kong this year.   Motorola expects to launch at least four W-CDMA handsets next year.

The general trend for 3G handsets is toward sleeker, lighter, hipper and funkier.

For example, Nokia has introduced a leaf-shaped 7600 model that can record up to 50 minutes of video clips. Meanwhile, the mobile giant is shipping its 6630 model, a dual-mode W-CDMA/Edge mass market smart-phone, to Vodafone. The firm has produced three W-CDMA phones this year.

Hong Kong's CSL is expected to be a large 3G customer for Nokia. 'We are focused on Nokia because Nokia is a long-term partner,' CSL  chief executive  Hubert Ng Ching-wah   said, adding he anticipated offering 3G phones from  existing partners, including Sony Ericsson, Motorola and Samsung, when CSL launched services.

Japanese consumer electronics giant Sanyo  has designed a slider phone, SX813,  exclusively for Smartone, which will probably   become the first slider phone available to Hong Kong. Sanyo will also supply its WCDMA/GSM dual-mode slider S750  to Orange.

The mainland's largest telecom equipment vendor, Huawei Technologies,  recently unveiled its two clamshell models, U326  and U626.  Huawei describes the U326 as an entry-level 3G phone. Weighing just 92g, it will be priced below 2,000 yuan. Huawei will probably supply its 3G handsets to Sunday Communications,  as it is the company's 3G equipment vendor.

'Huawei provides another choice for 3G handsets to mobile operators worldwide. Our position is that 3G handsets cannot be a lot more expensive than existing 2G handsets,' said Benjamin Peng,   vice-president  of Huawei's personal communications division.

Next year, Huawei will  include push-to-talk functions to its 3G phones.

Mr Bienaime said he expected the market for 3G to be more segmented than 2G, and operators would have to develop a greater  variety of services to address the wide range  of customers needs.

'As such, handsets play an important role in differentiating the various needs of customers. A variety of handsets is required to address these needs,' he said.

Meanwhile, firms that make components for handset manufacturers are promising advances that will cut power consumption and prolong   battery life.

Agere Systems,  a United States chipmaker that supplies processors for NEC's 3G handsets, is developing a 'baby bear, papa bear' approach:  voice functions are handled by a small chip while data is handled by a bigger chip with higher power demand. When data functions are not in use, the bigger processor goes to sleep.



Fledgling market quick to embrace slim, funky phones