Vodafone Live! to Get Video Messaging

Vodafone Sweden is planning to add three new camera phones to its Vodafone Live! service. Initially, the Sharp GX10i and Nokia 3650 camera-phones will be launched. By this summer, Vodafone Sweden also hopes to be able to offer the Sony Ericsson T610 as part of Vodafone live!

"Our high pre-launch expectations have been matched by Swedish sales of Vodafone live! That's why we're looking forward to an exciting spring. We will be improving and enhancing the concept even further, with both new camera-phones and new services," said Goran Mannerstrale, Director of Consumer Affairs at Vodafone Sweden.

"We are delighted to be able to offer the two camera-phones from Nokia and Sharp and we look forward to bringing Sony Ericsson onboard as well. The Sharp handset has been an enormous success in the countries where we have introduced the concept, and it recently won first prize as the best mobile phone at the GSM World Congress in Cannes. The Nokia 3650 is a snazzy little phone that we also feel is ideally suited to our target group," added Goran Mannerstrale.

Vodafone Sweden is currently testing its networks to make it possible to send video MMS as supported by the Nokia 3650.

"The interest in picture messages has been strong ever since they were introduced, and now it will be even stronger, since operators will be able to offer MMS between their networks, something that will become a reality in the very near future. Video MMS is something we really believe in, since the function further enhances both the pleasures and the benefits derived from communicating in pictures," said Mannerstrale.

Instant messaging is another new option Vodafone Sweden hopes to offer in the near future as part of Vodafone live! This service allows you to see when your friends are connected to the mobile network and start a chat session with them or send them other types of messages. The service is currently very popular on the Internet.

Another service to be offered is the photo album. Users can save their personal pictures in the album and show them to their friends. This services also lets you pre-select which friends will be allowed to see the pictures.

New content providers in the concept will also be coming out this spring with new services, such as stock market reports and Java games."

Posted to the site on 24th March 2003