Macsimum News - Analysis: NTT DoCoMo launching first 3G phone with S60 platform’s WebCore browser

Analysis: NTT DoCoMo launching first 3G phone with S60 platform’s WebCore browser

Posted by Dennis Sellers Apple ico Feb 16, 2006 at 12:03pm

Nokia announced on Thursday that NTT DoCoMo will ship their first 3G phones incorporating the new S60 smartphone platform by the end of the month. The S60 incorporates Apple’s WebCore Browser technology. Here are a few excerpts of the press release:

Nokia has started deliveries of the FOMA NM850iG 3G WCDMA smartphone to NTT DoCoMo, Inc. in Japan. Marketed as the FOMA NM850iG in NTT DoCoMo, Inc.’s lineup, the 3G WCDMA/GSM (*1) dual mode device is expected to be commercially available in Japan from February 24.

FOMA NM850iG is made for NTT DoCoMo with an additional i-mode function, and features a stylish straight body, incorporating the S60 smartphone platform. Compatible with international roaming services, within NTT DoCoMo’s international roaming service ‘WORLD WING’ area, the device supports voice calls, i-mode and i-mode mails, videophone from overseas using the same mobile phone number and i-mode mail address as used in Japan. This allows users to enjoy the sophisticated functionality offered by FOMA NM850iG (*4) even while abroad (*2), as the ideal choice for those taking overseas business trips, overseas travelers, as well as people who simply prefer a stylish design.

“We are extremely happy NTT DoCoMo chose to offer the FOMA NM850iG to Japanese consumers, and are excited about providing 3G handset for the first time to NTT DoCoMo at this very important time in the Japanese market,” said Tyler McGee, President, Nokia Japan. “NTT DoCoMo’s choice of the FOMA NM850iG means their customers will be able to benefit from its wide range of smartphone features, including a 1.3 megapixel camera, mobile broadband access with WCDMA networks and much more.”

“FOMA NM850iG also combines the benefits of 3G, EDGE and the leading smartphone platform S60. Offering mobile broadband access to multimedia content and video conferencing, the FOMA NM850iG is built for speed and smart working, offering high quality performance,” he added.

As per Nokia’s webpage: on Web Browser for S60

Experience true Web

The new Web Browser for S60 enables full Web browsing experience on mobile devices. The browser is based on the WebCore and JavaScriptCore open source components that are used by Apple’s Safari Internet browser. These components are based on KDE’s Konqueror open source project.

With innovative navigational features and superior Web compliance, browsing of big Web pages on a small screen becomes fast and easy.

As per Apple’s webpage: on NTT DoCoMo

NTT DoCoMo, the world’s leading mobile communications company chose QuickTime as their exclusive desktop player and content creation tool for their 3G FOMA “i-motion” video clip distribution and mail service because of massive distribution of the QuickTime Player and availability of high quality encoding tools.

Users of DoCoMo’s “i-motion mail” can transfer and play back multimedia messages on a Mac or PC from FOMA handsets with the easy-to-use QuickTime player. DoCoMo’s “i-motion” users can also download and view professional video content from a wide range of content partners, all created using QuickTime Pro with support for the 3GPP mobile multimedia standard.

Apple’s long standing Telco relations

Back in October 2004, Frank Casanova made the following statements:

“While Apple competitors Microsoft and Real prefer to attack the burgeoning market for cell phone entertainment by having handset makers embed their media players directly into phones, Apple doesn’t see the need, Cassanova said. Major cell phone carriers Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and Japan’s NTT DoCoMo and KDDI already use QuickTime on their servers that manage media for photo e-mailing and other new services.

In a way, Apple’s found its way into the core of cell phone carriers without having to build a single handset, primarily by selling servers to manage media on a cell phone operator’s network, Cassanova told his audience.

“The servers don’t get as much fanfare,” as Apple’s iPod, Cassanova said. Yet, 25 operators are in trials with the equipment, and Apple’s in discussions with about 25 more.

“We don’t have to play anywhere on the phone because QuickTime is at the core of many carriers’ media-oriented services,” he adds. “We do play a lot on the computers on either end, though.”

The fruits of working with the likes of Nokia and NTT DoCoMo will now bring WebCore and QuickTime together in DoCoMo’s new FOMA NM850iG.

neo@macsimumnews.com

Update tidbit: A reader who has worked in the telecom industry in both Hawaii and Japan emailed me today, convinced that the DOPOD is an Apple + DoCoMo iPod initiative in the wings. If you think about Apple + Nike, it actually sounds like a possibility. I’m certainly in the camp that believes that we’ll see more “Apple +” initiatives in the future – and the DoCoMo match up would be of great interest – especially considering that DoCoMo is entering the 4G space well ahead of North America. In my view, such an initiative would be an excellent test-pilot program for Apple who no doubt has a future WiMAX based iPod already in place.

For now, our Hawaiian reader’s position is perhaps just a very creative guess – But one that was just too good to ignore.

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Dennis Sellers

Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.