TOKYO-Japanese handset maker NEC Corp. said it has developed its first i-mode third-generation terminal, the N600I, for an operator outside Japan. NEC has begun delivery of the terminal for Cosmote, the largest mobile operator in Greece.
As part of NEC’s new W-CDMA and GSM/GPRS dual-mode mobile terminal platform strategy, the company includes proprietary platforms for high-end flagship 3G models and platforms from other vendors, including L.M. Ericsson’s Mobile Platforms. The new 3G i-mode terminal is the first mobile product arising from its new strategy.
The N600i is a clamshell video phone with a full-scale 1.3-megapixel camera.
Cosmote is the first i-mode operator outside of Japan to introduce 3G i-mode services. I-mode is a wireless Internet service developed by Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo Inc. Several European operators have licensing agreements with DoCoMo to offer i-mode services in their respective markets. Earlier this week, eight wireless carriers that currently offer i-mode services outside Japan, including Cosmote, announced joint procurement for i-mode handsets. The carriers procured an LG Electronics Co. Ltd. handset as their first product.
