The world's leading mobile phone makers, Nokia and Samsung, are fighting back against the popular e-mail-enabled BlackBerry smartphones and their iPhone rivals, analysts say.
With the unveiling of their own new smartphone models in Singapore this week, Finland's Nokia and South Korea's Samsung appear to have taken up the challenge, they say.
Nokia, the world's number one mobile phone maker, rolled out two new e-mail-capable devices targeted at business professionals who want easy and instant access to their messages.
Nokia's E71 and E66 come pre-loaded with Microsoft's popular e-mail programs and also support e-mail accounts from key Internet service providers such as Yahoo and Google's Gmail, the firm said.
Analysts say Nokia's move is likely pitched at the business-user segment dominated by Canada's Research in Motion (RIM), maker of the wildly popular BlackBerry smartphone.
The BlackBerry, which combines a mobile phone and personal digital assistant, allows users to browse the Internet, use e-mail and make calls. It has proven a big hit with business executives worldwide.
"They (Nokia) really see it as a significant selling point," said Nathan Burley, an analyst with Ovum telecommunications consultancy.
"People want their e-mails mobilized... that has been the success of BlackBerry and the killer application for BlackBerry success," he said.
With the E71 and E66, Nokia also has its eyes set on the nearly one quarter of the world's population it says have e-mail accounts.
"We want to serve people who are passionate about their work," said Chris Carr, Nokia's vice-president for regional sales, at a launch in Singapore late on Monday.
"You know today there is an enormous amount of people, I think it's 1.5 billion people, who are connected with e-mail devices or connected with accounts," said Carr.
Nokia also says the world will have four billion mobile users by the end of 2009.
South Korea's Samsung this week unveiled its Omnia device, a smart phone that comes with a touch-sensitive screen, functions, a five megapixel camera and GPS navigation function.
It also has access to Microsoft office programs such as PowerPoint, Excel and Word.
"When you look at the timing and some of the features that Samsung is talking about, it is positioned directly against the iPhone," said Aloysius Choong, a research manager with industry research group IDC.
The Omnia capitalizes on the buzz for smartphones created by the iPhone, and will offer an alternative choice for consumers, he said.
"This is an important tactical move," said Choong.
Josh Delgado, Samsung's director for telecommunications in Australia, said the Omnia "is more than just a phone."
It is pitched at consumers who "are not satisfied with the all-in-one touch devices" available in the market he said, adding that Omnia is not completely aimed at Apple's iPhone.
Last week Apple unveiled its touch-screen-activated 3G iPhone built for high-speed wireless networks, with faster Internet access and more features for users than its previous iPhone released last year.
Delgado says Samsung has "a tremendous opportunity" among customers looking for alternatives.
"There is a lot of hype around iPhone but there are carriers, customers who don't have iPhones," he said.
Source:China Daily/AFP
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