The latest generation of mobiles

The latest generation of mobiles

JAKARTA (JP): Starting your car engine or turning down the
volume of your radio with your cellular phone? Very soon you will
be able to do it. Mobile phone makers have been moving into the
next generation of technology with the introduction of various
types of wireless communications over the past two decades.

Wireless communications products will be equipped with the so-
called blue-tooth system, creating cellular phones that operate
just like a remote control. Blue-tooth products also offer quick
and reliable data and audio exchange with other blue-tooth-
adapted devices.

This is the age of ease, or laziness, depending on your point
of view, where value-added features are created to spoil humans.

These value-added features then become significant weapons in
the war to grab loyal cellular users. This will be particularly
true in the planned generation of convergence, which will result
in cellular phones with much greater possibilities.

The current generation of cellular phone systems include GSM,
AMPS and CDMA, and the next generation of wireless technology
will include devices which will work in two gigahertz.

Future wireless systems will provide users not only voice,
text and audio features, but also high-quality images and video
in the wideband frequency. This will include interactive news
delivery (voice, video, e-mail, graphics), interactive audio,
Internet games and video conferencing with file transfer
capability.

GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), is now the
definitive worldwide standard for wireless communications.

The GSM Association claims that there are now a quarter of a
billion GSM users in the world.

"In 1992, there were just 250,000 GSM users in the world. Now
that market has increased a thousand times to reach 250 million
-- which means one in every 25 people in the world have a GSM
phone. And yet the pace of growth continues to increase
dramatically," says Michael Stocks, chairman of the GSM
Association.

Evolution

GSM technology evolved from GSM 900 (working in 900
megahertz), to GSM 1800 (1.8 gigahertz), to WAP (Wireless
Application Protocol), to GPRS (General Package Radio Service),
to EDGE (Enhanced Data-rates for GSM Evolution) and finally --
for the time being -- to UMTS (the Universal Mobile
Telecommunications System), also known as 3G.

3G is the generic term used for the next generation of mobile
communications systems. 3G systems will provide enhanced services
for those services currently available today, such as voice, text
and data. UMTS is part of the International Telecommunications
Union (ITU)'s IMT-2000 vision of a global family of third-
generation mobile communications systems.

The technology for 3G systems and services are currently under
development across the industry.

IMT-2000 is the term used by the ITU as the specification for
3G services, based upon a "family" of compatible standards, of
which a GSM-based evolution is set to be the most widespread.

Third generation mobile technology will not only deliver a
wide variety of wireless services, it will also herald a new era
of services that combine high-speed mobile access with Mobile
Multimedia and Internet Protocol-based services.

Handsets

There is no question that cellular phone manufacturers must
follow this technology evolution, in addition to creating
colorful features for their handsets.

South Korea's Samsung, for example, has come out with the
Watch Phone, Wireless Internet Phone and the MP3 Phone in order
to satisfy customers' demands. Samsung handsets are known for
their innovative features and functions, including voice dialing
and command, vibration alert, personalized ring, eight types of
games and a personal organizer. Some of the handsets also have a
built-in answering machine that enables users to listen to
messages on their phone without having to contact an operator.

Samsung will launch six new products in 2000, including the
SGH-2400, SGH-A100, SGH-2500 and SGH-A200.

Telecommunications giant Ericsson has also introduced several
new handsets. One of them is the R250s PRO, which boasts several
innovations, including waterproofing.

Ericsson Indonesia director Susanto Sosilo said Ericsson was
also set to launch eight new products.

Nokia just launched the N-7110 which is based on wireless
application protocol and the N-8210.

Alcatel said they would launch a product next month which
would be the world's first handset employing WAP.

Fery Wiraatmadja of Alcatel said the company would also
introduce several new products to Indonesia.

Husni Erwinn of Motorola said they would launch a Motorola V
series next month with some new features.

Farid Manan of PT Dian Graha Elektrika, Siemens' sole agent in
Indonesia, said Siemens would also launch new handsets using the
WAP system.

Lighter, smaller, cuter, smarter, longer-lasting lithium
batteries and multiband and other features are generally what
users are now looking for in cellular phones.

The annual CeBIT exhibition in Hanover, Germany, later this
month will be the spot for handset manufacturers to display their
newest innovations. Unfortunately, some cellular phone makers are
not willing to discuss exactly what they will unveil at the
exhibition.

Mass production

Indonesia is one of the most attractive markets in the world
for cellular phone manufacturers. A big plus for these
manufacturers is that Indonesian consumers are known in the
industry for their snobbishness and desire to one-up their
acquaintances.

Fery said cellular phone users in Indonesia always wanted the
latest product.

"This is a kind of emotional response rather than a rational
one," he said.

But in following the technological evolution in the industry,
consumers are expected to become more rational.

It is true that due to privilege and image, many users do not
really want what they get in their cellular phones. Many do not
know how to operate the Short Messaging Service on their cell
phones, for instance, but still their handsets must be the newest
and most sophisticated on the market.

Some handset makers divide Indonesian consumers into several
segments, but the market trend shows that cellular phones will
become a lifestyle necessity for most.

"People may use different types or brands of handsets during
weekdays and weekends, just like their cars," says Erwinn, adding
that it is hard to find loyal customers in Indonesia.

There are some two million cellular phone users in Indonesia,
and this figure is estimated to grow to three million by the end
of this year.

Since the local market is considered "snobbish", the mass
production and marketing of cellular phones generally takes place
outside of the country.

As a result, many times people discover their sophisticated
handsets have some minor problems, usually associated with the
high-tech aspects of the phones. Users are then wont to become
upset when they realize the time which will be required to repair
even minor defects in their handsets.(I. Christianto)