News
Issue #2003 - 03 (January 2003)
(Updated Jan. 30, 2003)

INFRASTRUCTURE, PRODUCTS & SERVICES

DoCoMo Camera Phone Sales Exceed 5 Million

Tokyo, Japan, Jan. 14, 2003 - (JCN Newswire) - NTT DoCoMo, Inc. announced today that sales of i-shot(TM) handsets have topped the five million mark, less than one month after reaching the four million sales level.

Launched on June 1, 2002, DoCoMo's i-shot service allows subscribers to transmit still images taken with compatible mobile phones having built-in cameras to virtually any device capable of receiving e-mail. Given the tremendous popularity of the service, DoCoMo introduced its 504iS series of highly advanced camera-equipped mobile phones. Available in three models, this series offers a wide variety of features, including customization of still images using downloaded i-ppli(TM) frames to create original screensavers.

Following the successful launch of the 504iS series, i-shot handset sales began accelerating at a rapid pace, hitting five million units just seven months after service introduction.

Currently, there are eight i-shot models available on the market.

About i-shot(TM)
The i-shot service, launched on June 1, 2002, is DoCoMo's service that allows users to transmit still images taken with i-shot compatible mobile phones that feature built-in digital cameras. The photos taken with the phones can be sent as e-mail attachments (JPEG files up to 30Kb), which are transmitted via an "i-shot center". If the person receiving the images is a user, the i-shot center will assign a URL to the message for easy access to the photos. If the receiving party accesses e-mail via a PC or mobile phone of a different Japanese carrier, images are attached directly to the message. Digital photos can be edited prior to transmission. In addition, messages accompanying the photos can contain up to 200
alphanumerics (or 100 Japanese characters).

MobileInfo Comments and Advisory: Camera phones are a niche item that offer potential to carriers to increase their ARPU. To us at Mobileinfo.Com, a site dedicated to the enterprise applications, the concept does offer potential for a number of field wireless data applications where insurance claims adjusters , as an example, may want to send pictures from the field to their claims centers or other corporate offices. This could be done quite easily. Unfortunately, the handsets that are aimed at consumers do not suit the enterprise applications. Would handset manufacturers care to create specialized handsets for these applications?

As for DoCoMo's success with selling these picture phone handsets, it is a respectable number. Experience in Europe is not as good and North America has just started. We do not see a sudden rush to stores. 

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