Sporting a new chipset allowing simultaneous voice and data transmissions,
Nokia officials announced Friday a new digital wireless
phone for European and Asian countries.
Unfortunately for U.S. customers, taking full advantage of the phone is
still wishful thinking, as wireless carriers are still years behind the
rest of the world in 3G wireless phone technologies.
The Nokia 6650 is a first-of-a-kind phone combining global system for
mobile communications (GSM) and the wideband code division multiple access
(WCDMA) protocol on one chipset. This duo makes it possible for users to
talk on the phone while accessing the Internet or sending a file.
Also included on the phone is a camera that can capture up to 20 seconds of
video (with audio); that, tied into WCDMA, gives users the chance to talk
on the phone with a friend, take a picture of an event happening in the
caller’s view, send the photo immediately to the receiver and talk about
the picture in real time.
Software support includes a program that allows users to synchronize data
between the phone and a PC, similar to that used by PDAs. The phone also
comes with Bluetooth support, which will let it “talk” to other Bluetooth
devices, regardless of the name brand.
“The launch of the Nokia 6650 is solid proof of our capability to build
highly sophisticated, yet user-friendly phones for more complex and
demanding operating environments using new radio standards, like WCDMA,”
said Anssi Vanjoki, a Nokia executive vice president in a statement Friday.
While the first phones begin shipping in the next couple months,
carriers in the U.S. are still working on a way to get 3G technology out
nationwide.
The only two wireless carriers of note who provide a GSM-technology service
are AT&T Wireless and Cingular, though their networks are
still based on 2.5G technology.
Verizone Wireless and Sprint
both used
CDMA2000, a standard popular in the U.S. but relatively unused in Europe
and Asia.
