|
|
|
|
Cellphone NewsNokia Makes Enterprise Play with 9300i SmartphoneCIO Today, Nov 29, 2005 Looking to gain a stronger foothold in the enterprise, Nokia today took the wraps off of its latest smartphone, the 9300i, essentially an update to the 9300 model, which did not come with built-in Wi-Fi connectivity. The voice/data 9300i flips open to reveal a full keyboard and a wide color display in a horizontal configuration. With support for 802.11g wireless, the handset provides a mobile data connection for downloading business files or e-mail with attachments, which can be stored in the 80 MB of built-in memory. Flexibility with E-MailFor voice and data communications, the 9300i smartphone will be able to run on Cingular's high-speed EDGE network and will ship in the first quarter of 2006 as a tri-band phone optimized for mobile networks in Europe and Asia and capable of operating in compatible GSM networks in the Americas. The smartphone supports multiple e-mail clients, including BlackBerry, IBM WebSphere, Oracle Collaboration Suite, and Visto Mobile. Built-in infrared and Bluetooth capabilities let you wirelessly link the devices to a desktop PC or laptop, as well as exchange data with other mobile devices. Other bells and whistles include multimedia- and text-messaging capabilities, a video player, USB connectivity, and the Symbian 7.0 operating system, which comes with applications to view and edit Microsoft Office documents. Wi-Fi Is KeyThe 9300i demonstrates Nokia's belief that Wi-Fi technology is a critical component for devices targeting the enterprise, said Yankee Group analyst John Jackson. "It's a technology that will become standard in enterprise-class products, because it lets I.T. managers and business users take advantage of the massive installed base of Wi-Fi in corporate settings," he said. Jackson noted that support for wireless local area networks was a glaring omission from the previous Nokia 9300 model. IDC's Dave Linsalata offered a similar take, pointing out that wireless LANs are considerably more efficient than carriers' wireless data systems in transferring large files, such as PowerPoint presentations. Smartphone Sales on the RiseBoth analysts commented on the fact that Nokia said nothing about possible VoIP support on the device, although Linsalata suggested that Internet-based calling is a possibility via Wi-Fi networks. Nokia is holding its own in the smartphone space, said Jackson, based on strong sales of its Series 80 models, including the 9500 and 9300. But it's still early in the race, he added, given the small number of devices sold in comparison to voice-centric mobile phones. Yankee Group projects smartphone sales to hit 52 million units this year, doubling the 25 million shipped in 2004. The research firm predicts that sales of the devices will rise to 85 million in 2006. In contrast, annual sales of regular mobile phones are in the 800-million range. |
Tag This Page: Digg Del.icio.us Reddit |
Need More Information? Search the whole Web or just the Mobilook site here: |
Top Pages on Mobilook
|
top cellphone
news site map home |