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Korea's top three mobile handset makers
are gearing up to sell mobile camera phones
with a massive two megapixel capacity -
a move that eventually will make it hard
to detect a technical difference between
camera phones and digital cameras.
Built-in
cameras are now considered a must-have features
in cellular phone in Korean market, where
nearly nearly two-thirds of the population
carry a handset.
But the introduction
of two megapixel camera phones is expected
to heat up a battle between makers of handsets
and those of digital cameras, which have
enjoyed a surge in demand over the past
several years. Technically, two megapixel
handset cameras are similar to entry-level
digital cameras.
LG Electronics
INc., the world's sixth largest mobile phone
maker, beban selling a two megapixel camera
phone early in May. The LG-SD330 model,
which has 16 megabytes of memory and 90
minute video footage storage capacity, is
priced at less than 600,000 won (U$509)
per unit.
In mid May 2004, Samsung
Electronics Co., the third-largest handset
producer worldwide, began to offer a two
megapixel phone device, which also features
camcoders and MP3 player function. The V4400 phone
costs around 700,000 won and can store up
to two hours of video. Users are able to
hook up the device to a television to watch
the video footages,
In addition,
the country's third largest cell phone brand,
Curitel Communications Inc. is planning
ot offer two megapixel camera phones starting
from early June.
In the first three
month of 2004, Samsung Electronics sold
4.36 milion camera phones, up 56 percent
from the previous quarter. LG Electronics'
sales during the same period totaled 1.4
million units.
The camera phone upgrade by the manufacturers
is being pushed by their clients - mobile
phone services providers - to increase media
related income. Stung by a flat growth in
voice call revenues, wireless carriers are
pinning their hope on the uptake of data
communications, offering multimedia messaging
with photos and cound clips. As people begin
to exchange quality images via their mobile
phones it will help carriers earn more revenues.
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