NTT DoCoMo has announced that it will start selling a new 3G videphone from 27th September 2002. FOMA T2101V is smaller and lighter than existing 3G handsets and offers up to 125 hours of standby time, addressing criticisms that the original FOMA handsets were too large and power-hungry.

It is equipped with a 100,000 pixel CMOS camera and can store clips of incoming video calls directly on the handset. It also supports DoCoMo’s i-Motion video download service and picture messaging. The video camera can be set to automatically activate when a call is received from another DoCoMo customer equipped with a compatible handset.

In a separate announcement, DoCoMo said that its development partnership with Hewlett Packard had resulted in the creation of a robust system for the simultaneous delivery of video to millions of 3G users. HP and DoCoMo agreed to collaborate on next generation wireless technology in December 2000 and have now developed server technology designed exclusively for the requirements of 3G video transmission. The Mobile Streaming Media Content Delivery Network uses intelligent management technology to dynamically allocate server usage in times of peak demand, ensuring that the system can cope with spikes.

Insight

PMN talked about DoCoMo’s failure to execute its 3G strategy in comments on the 05/09/2002 BWCS piece ‘NTT DoCoMo to miss FOMA targets‘. This launch fails to address the primary issue PMN identified then – the sparse 3G coverage and the absence of dual-mode handsets which would enable users to carry a single handset for nationwide access to the DoCoMo network.

However, it does offer an improvement in battery life and the size of the device. The additional video features, such as being able to store clips, are also interesting, but are unlikely to convince many users to upgrade. Until DoCoMo introduces dual-mode handsets which are as attractive as existing 2.5G terminals, it certainly will not be needing the ‘mass demand’ video transmission system it has been working on with HP.