Toshiba Corp. will throw its bowler into Europe’s GSM ring. The company’s subsidiary, Toshiba Information Systems UK Ltd., announced it will introduce its first cellular handset to operate on Global System for Mobile communications networks this fall in Europe.
Toshiba already supplies Advanced Mobile Phone Service handsets to the North American and Southeast Asian markets and Total Access Communication System phones and Personal Digital Communications system phones to the Japanese market.
The introduction of the GSM phone will assure Toshiba’s worldwide presence in all major mobile telephone markets, said the company.
“GSM has fast gained acceptance as a global standard for digital mobile communications since its launch in Europe in 1992,” said Tony Sweeney, general manager of Toshiba’s telecoms division in London. The handsets should complement Toshiba’s line of personal computers, Sweeney said.
Toshiba said its TCP-6000 phone, measuring less than one-inch thick, may be the slimmest in the European market and will feature an S-shaped profile and integrated antenna.
“It’s pretty unusual,” said Tom Sweeney. “It has a distinctive shape. It actually fits around your face and is easy to use. If you put it in your pocket, you can’t accidentally touch the numbers.”
The antenna is integrated inside the phone’s casing and provides a high performance level, matching that of the extendible antenna, Sweeney said. “We reckoned that what happens more on cellular phones are broken or bent aerials.”
The company has tested the phone, which is designed for high-end use, in every European country and feedback has been positive, especially in Italy, noted Sweeney. Toshiba plans to expand GSM sales in other regions including Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
“The launch of the TCP-6000 is the vital step toward our vision of European business users traveling throughout Europe using a highly portable, slimline GSM phone and high-end notebook PC, all supplied by Toshiba,” said Sweeney.
Toshiba said the handset can use several types of batteries. The phone will weigh 4.9 ounces using the lithium-ion battery and the nickel hydride battery will offer up to 95 hours of standby time, said the company.
Built-in guides to functions and features will allow manual-free operation, enabling users to define personal menu structures using 10 different languages. Plans call for the phones to have computer and fax functionality early next year, said Toshiba.
The company plans to introduce a low-end, budget-priced version of the phone by the middle of 1997. Toshiba also is considering manufacturing GSM 1900 and 1800 versions of the handset.
In the United States, Wayne, N.J.-based Toshiba America Consumer Products, owned by Toshiba Corp.’s subsidiary, Toshiba America Inc., announced late last year it would suspend its cellular phone operations here due to dropping phone prices and the appreciation of the yen. The company has said it will monitor the situation and may re-enter the market when conditions improve.
Sweeney said Toshiba still manufactures analog handsets in Japan for the U.S. market. He added Toshiba would offer GSM personal communications services handsets to the United States only if GSM becomes the country’s nationwide digital standard.
