Now Siemens has a digital TV phone

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If you thought digital TV on your mobile was just a little wheeze cooked up by Nokia and O2 to flog Nokia’s odd shaped widescreen 7700/7710 phones think again, for Siemens has unveiled its version of a digital TV phone.

Set to debut at CeBit the its phone includes DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcast for Handheld Devices) compatibility, which in theory should mean that in a year or so’s time (in the UK at least) it will pick up around half a dozen digital TV and about 30 digital radio channels.

Already huge in Japan and Korea, TV on a mobile phone is likely to be enormous in Europe, and we are utterly convinced that it is the killer application your mobile phone has been waiting for. Factor a hard disk into the phone for recording programmes (and also storing your fave video clips you may have transferred from a PC) and you really do have personal TV to go. The only other facts we know about the phone are that it has a VGA screen and stereo sound.

Almost as intriguing is a phone from Siemens home fixed line handset division – the Gigaset S35 WLAN. As its name suggests the phone can latch on to a wireless network, both at home and at a wi-fi hot spot, to make and receive VoIP telephone calls. It’ll also pull in your email and allow you to indulge in IM conversations.

Seems as if Siemens’ impending demise in the mobile market has been somewhat exaggerated.

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3 comments

  • SIEMENS IS SHOWING PROTYTPE AGAIN AT CEBIT – I WONDER IF THEY CAN COMMERCIALISED IT?

    Mobile Digital TV has already been in the market in Japan and Korea since end 2003. This is already old news.http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/July2003/5647.htm

    I suspect that the prototype that Siemens is displaying is just a handmade model for PR demo purpose at Cebit. I wouldn’t be surprised if it is made under an OEM deal by some Japanese or Korean companies that have the technology. Siemens has shown many prototype of “wonder” mobile products during past Cebits that never came to fruition eg watch phone, 3G devices, 3D mobile gaming devices, etc. Current range of Siemens’ 3G mobile phones are all made by Motorola.

    Just look at the whole fiasco with the Xelibri fashion accessory phone that Siemens claim is going to be the SWATCH of the mobile phone industry. Siemens close down that division in less than 1 year – after suffering humiliation rejection from consumers, retailers and operators.

    The track record of Siemens Mobile division is one of good at displaying prototype of new product concepts and gaining some temporary PR coverage but with no successful history of commercialisation and market leadership. This shows very clearly in its loss of market share worldwide and its non-profitability despite being No 5 in market share.

    Siemens would most likely follow Alcatel or Philips in seeking a “face saving” exit of the mobile phone business – which is acceptable to the strong work council that sits on its supervisory board in its own country.

  • Whats odd about the shape of the 7710? I think you’re refering to the 7700 a prototype that is being used for TV trials in the UK and beyond. I fail to see how TV can become useful on mobile phones unless we are to be bombarded by push advertising whilst trying to watch a movie we downloaded overnight.

    This is the business case, whilst the networks run at 10% overnight currently they will be used to send vids to our devices for the next morning.

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