The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_X_on_2023.svgbt_X_over_2023.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_X_on_2023.svgbt_X_over_2023.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Song Ji-hyo to make silver screen return in 'House of Meeting'

  • 3

    Seoul says FEOC guidance reduces uncertainty, will continue close consultation with US

  • 5

    5 Korea tourism clips top 225 mil. views

  • 7

    Yoon accepts resignation offer of head of state broadcasting watchdog

  • 9

    Is ruling party's reform drive at end of road?

  • 11

    INTERVIEWHip-hop group Uptown returns after 13 years with new lineup

  • 13

    Late Ven. Jaseung's additional notes on last will found at his residence

  • 15

    DL, SPC chiefs apologize for worker deaths under poor labor conditions

  • 17

    Crackdown on illegal short selling takes priority over MSCI listing: FSC vice chair

  • 19

    Cabinet passes motion requesting parliamentary reconsideration of 'yellow envelope bill'

  • 2

    N. Korean leader calls for increased aerial combat posture amid tension over satellite launch

  • 4

    First S. Korea spy satellite successfully launched into orbit

  • 6

    Tension mounts between Yoon administration, opposition party

  • 8

    Nexon workers in conflict with umbrella union over stance on feminism

  • 10

    Daegu mayor criticizes officials for spreading false hope about Expo bid

  • 12

    Life expectancy of Koreans falls for first time in 52 years over COVID-19: data

  • 14

    Rights activists criticize wage discrimination against migrant boat crews

  • 16

    Yoon's state visit to Netherlands to focus on semiconductor cooperation

  • 18

    Hyundai chief pledges to support globalization of archery

  • 20

    US slaps additional sanctions against N. Korea in response to spy satellite launch

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Sun, December 3, 2023 | 04:50
KoreaToday
Mobile Phones Facing Radical Changes
Posted : 2008-06-25 21:07
Updated : 2008-06-25 21:07
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link


Cellphone Industry Sees Evolution of the Smart Phone as Fashion Statement

By Kim Yoo-chul
Staff Reporter

Not long ago, a mobile phone was just an instrument to make calls and send messages on the move. Now, the small electronics gadget is growing more and more feature rich to include multimedia, camera, games, e-mail and live news at all.

In an era of ``digital convergence,'' a phone call is merely one function of what users can do as there's lots of more things in the mobile world. Things will keep getting better for consumers as mobile phone companies try to differentiate themselves on the basis of ``content.''

```Convergence' impacts on a huge range of things,'' says Salvatore Iacono, senior vice president of production solution marketing at the Bell Enterprise Group.

``It now involves not just voice and data on a single network but also the applications that sit on those networks, the way we deliver services and the way people are using IT.''

``I can simply say the definition is expanding and evolving,'' says Kim Eun-young, a product designer at Samsung Electronics.

``The ability to deliver all services based on either voice or data through a single network to any device a consumer wants to use ― a desktop, a PDA, a mobile phone and a television set,'' she explains.

By riding on such radical changes in the global phone industry, leading phone manufacturers such as Nokia, Samsung Electronics, Motorola and LG Electronics are busy introducing highly-functional ``smart phones'' by applying more eye-catching application technologies.

Ringtones, SMS, music files, gaming and information are the traditional parts that phone producers are focusing on. But embedded content is defining most of the new phones as `digital convergence' takes precedence over traditional features.

Samsung's Omnia ― meaning `everything' in Latin and `wish' in Arabic ― phone brings, together with a higher performance, business content, top of the range style and a fun, dynamic multimedia experience, to ensure that consumers are always connected both at home and at work.

The Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional Operating System also means that users can download additional programs as they would on their PCs and customize them for their own needs.

``As mobile phones are developing further amid an era of `digital convergence,' the PC business must break down barriers and be armed with technology competitiveness,'' Park Jong-woo, president of the digital media business for the world's No. 2 mobile manufacturer recently told The Korea Times.

``We are positive that the Omnia will be loved by possible consumers as one of the top Infotainment handset,'' Park added.

Nokia phones are equipped with navigation tools. The Finnish company, which has claimed itself a ``solution provider,'' has already tied up with music companies like EMI, Saregama and Venus to enhance its music edition phone with popular songs.

LG and Sony Ericsson phones allow users to access some sports and TV videos and boasts of mobile commerce and banking services.

LG says its Secret phone is an iPhone killer. It has already launched its touch-screen Vu and Shine models in Canada.

``Surely, content is a major differentiator for mobile phone. The global phone market is moving from `what phone I have' to `what call can I do with my phone','' Kim from Samsung said.

As Apple's new iPhone cost half as much as the prototype at $200, competition in the smart-phone market, which has been very strong the last six months, is widely expected to get more intense.

Industry experts say now more than 150 million smart phones are already in the hands of users, with that number expected to grow to more than 1 billion by 2010.

Debate

Analysts agree that the smart phone has emerged the fastest-growing segment of the mobile business and as consumers trade in their aging mobile phones, many are choosing Internet-enabled ``smart'' variety as replacements.

But one of the bigger debates in ``convergence'' is probably the question of who should supply services.

``For me, it is very interesting to have flexibility to pick applications from multiple suppliers. But to many users, it has become a rather bewildering,'' Park Jin-hyun, a software developer for mobiles at a local company.

She added lines between media companies and telecom companies are blurring, as are those between telecom companies and media services companies such as Yahoo, Google and even Microsoft and between telecom companies and IT companies.

Companies that started as Internet search engines are offering communications service such as messaging and location-finding services.

``The only thing is that the impact of the drive toward `convergence' is profound,'' according to the official.

```Convergence' is bound to change the way we live, the way we work and the way we entertain ourselves. The faster evolution of cell phones will result in a revolution in communications.''

yckim@koreatimes.co.kr
 
wooribank
LG group
Top 10 Stories
15 Korea tourism clips top 225 mil. views 5 Korea tourism clips top 225 mil. views
2Tension mounts between Yoon administration, opposition partyTension mounts between Yoon administration, opposition party
3Nexon workers in conflict with umbrella union over stance on feminism Nexon workers in conflict with umbrella union over stance on feminism
4Is ruling party's reform drive at end of road? Is ruling party's reform drive at end of road?
5Daegu mayor criticizes officials for spreading false hope about Expo bid Daegu mayor criticizes officials for spreading false hope about Expo bid
6Rights activists criticize wage discrimination against migrant boat crews Rights activists criticize wage discrimination against migrant boat crews
7DL, SPC chiefs apologize for worker deaths under poor labor conditions DL, SPC chiefs apologize for worker deaths under poor labor conditions
8Crackdown on illegal short selling takes priority over MSCI listing: FSC vice chair Crackdown on illegal short selling takes priority over MSCI listing: FSC vice chair
9Hyundai chief pledges to support globalization of archery Hyundai chief pledges to support globalization of archery
102023 Korea-EU CSO Network Human Rights Conference to emphasize diversity, practice inclusivity 2023 Korea-EU CSO Network Human Rights Conference to emphasize diversity, practice inclusivity
Top 5 Entertainment News
1[INTERVIEW] Hip-hop group Uptown returns after 13 years with new lineup INTERVIEWHip-hop group Uptown returns after 13 years with new lineup
2ONE PACT debuts hoping to leave big impact on K-pop scene ONE PACT debuts hoping to leave big impact on K-pop scene
3[INTERVIEW] ASTRO members aim to shine in musical theaterINTERVIEWASTRO members aim to shine in musical theater
4'Our Season' director, veteran actor discuss creating relatable mother-daughter story 'Our Season' director, veteran actor discuss creating relatable mother-daughter story
5December brings mix of action, thriller, romance to small screen December brings mix of action, thriller, romance to small screen
DARKROOM
  • It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

    It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

  • 2023 Thanksgiving parade in NYC

    2023 Thanksgiving parade in NYC

  • Appreciation of autumn colors

    Appreciation of autumn colors

  • Our children deserve better

    Our children deserve better

  • Israel-Gaza conflict erupts into war

    Israel-Gaza conflict erupts into war

  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel: 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844
Date of registration: 2020.02.05
Masthead: The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group