Getting connected

Advanced technology paves the way for innovative features, applications and functions that will make the mobile phone a more prominent extension of our lives

This ubiquitous gadget has endured ‘generations' of growth - 1G, 2G, 2.5 and now steadily moving into 3G - to take on new and enterprising roles.

For instance, they are no longer just devices of communication.

They are now entertainers, travelling companions, guides, personal information management (PIM) assistants and the purveyors of a growing global community of techno-geeks. If that sounds like a tall order, the numbers will speak for themselves.

According to a forecast by the US research firm Gartner, Inc., sales of mobile phones are set to reach one billion annually by 2009, when nearly 40 per cent of the world's population will own a mobile handset.

In fact, in terms of sales for the second quarter of 2005, Gartner's figures reveal that about 190.5 million units were sold, which represented a 21.6 per cent growth from the same period last year. At this rate, the forecast seems plausible.

Evolving technology

"We estimate to see two billion subscribers at the end of 2005 and three billion in 2010. We will also see strong growth in regions such as the Middle East and Africa," says Eddy Rizyk, Senior Communications Manager, Nokia, Middle East and Africa.

Evolving technology has made mobile phones available to regions such as Africa and Asia, which are considered ‘growth' markets.

According to Rizyk, in such areas that have low mobile penetration, the strategic focus is more on getting people connected and helping them understand the benefits of using mobile phones as against promoting more advanced features such as MP3 capabilities, games or push-to-talk functions.

Phones that are more popular in these areas include those which are user-friendly with basic voice features.

"Some of our phones such as the 1600 and 1110 2 and 3 are great bets. They even have ‘speaking' alarm clocks, demos in graphics to show people the method to operate the phone and are customised with language options such as Arabic.

"These phones work in markets where people aren't highly educated but require mobile phones in their daily lives," says Rizyk.

Replacement markets

Replacement markets are considered ‘mature' with high mobile penetration such as Japan, Western Europe, America and even some parts of the Middle East.

Consumers in these areas tend to change their handsets regularly depending on usage, features, technology trends and other factors.

Features that are popular in these markets vary. According to Rizyk, 3G phones and technology are getting more popular in advanced markets such as Japan and Europe.

"In markets such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, Bluetooth technology is motivating sales. In the Middle East, where mobile penetration ranges from five to 105 per cent, features that are popular range from voice and SMS to built-in alarm and camera. A certain segment also looks at multimedia features including MP3 and games."

Moving specifically to a market such as the UAE, one definitely sees a very high penetration of mobile phones in this region.

Sandeep Saihgal, Senior Manager Sales and Marketing, Telecommunication Division, Samsung Gulf Electronics, says, "We consider the UAE a ‘mature' market with clear segments including ones that are business, lifestyle, fashion, women or technology-oriented. There are users who want features such as Bluetooth, MP3 or even converged devices.

Range of products

"We offer a range of products to address such a variety of segments. For instance, we have the D600, which is meant for the ‘premium professional' and has features such as a QVGA display, two mega pixel camera, Bluetooth and MP3.

"It can also carry Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents, which can be viewed by attaching a TV output cable to a projector or a TV screen. This feature helps make this phone very valuable for a jet-setting executive," says Saihgal.

"For women, we have the SGH-E530, a beautiful mobile phone designed specifically for the modern woman.

"The aesthetically designed phone comes in pretty colours has music and imaging capabilities, and a user interface designed for women including the ability to personalise the phone with MMS information on fragrances, an alarm for biorhythms and a height and weight ration calculator, as well as a shopping list.

Remarkable features

"We will be launching the E760, a sleek ‘design-oriented' phone with a remarkable motion recognition user interface and MPEG4 video recording and digital camera," says Saihgal.