Symbian 3G handset ships

Symbian has announced that the first handset for third-generation (3G) mobile networks based on Symbian's smart-phone operating system is now shipping in Japan. The phone, made by Fujitsu for wireless operator NTT DoCoMo, will not be available in the UK, but shows that Symbian licensees are ready to introduce 3G devices as soon as there is a network infrastructure to support them.

Peter Bancroft, Symbian's vice president of communications, said the move was significant as foreign firms have struggled to gain acceptance in Japan. "We've shown we are capable of working with local companies to bring products to market," he said.

The Fujitsu N2051 handset is designed to work with NTT DoCoMo's Freedom of Multimedia Access (Foma) network, and is not compatible with 3G standards being developed in Europe. It is capable of download speeds up to 384kbit/s and upload speeds up to 64kbit/s. The handset has a custom user interface that runs on top of the Symbian operating system.

European 3G handsets will not necessarily have the same features as the N2051. "Mobile operators in each region know what customers want, and the UK will be different from Japan," Bancroft said, adding that 3G Symbian phones could be offered in the UK now if there was any network in place to support them.

Compared with current mobile phone networks in the UK, which were designed primarily to carry voice traffic, 3G mobile networks are intended to work more like high-speed packet-based computer networks. But technical problems have delayed the rollout of 3G networks and they are now not expected until 2004 in the UK. Bancroft said the main attraction of 3G is greater bandwidth, and that Symbian phones already supported many of the capabilities promised for 3G networks. "Symbian will be there when the networks are ready," he added.

Symbian licensees in Europe include Nokia and Ericsson, which make GSM and GPRS phones. Nokia ships several Symbian-based products, including its 9210 Communicator and 7650 camera phone. The launch of Sony Ericsson's P800 smartphone is "imminent", said Bancroft.

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