OXFORD, United Kingdom-Looking to break into the European cell-phone market has proved harder than expected for the Far Eastern manufacturer Daewoo. The company, which had intended to launch two handsets in the second half of 2002, is now reviewing its plans following little interest from mobile operators.
This comes as insiders within Siemens leaked details of the company’s first Symbian-based smart phone that will be launched at next month’s 3GSM World Congress. The company, which is fighting hard to gain market share in Europe, apparently plans to unveil four new handsets-one high-end and one low-end model-in Cannes, France, next month, with two additional models being launched at CeBIT in Hannover, Germany, in March.
Siemens is reported to be looking to build on the success of its existing 55-handset range, which already includes phones with multimedia messaging service (MMS), color screens, and the option of attachable cameras with built-in flash.
Meanwhile, Daewoo is now expected to offer an updated range of cell phones that will include polyphonic ring tones, Bluetooth and color screens. A camera phone is expected to follow shortly after.
