Chinese CDMA Handsets Go Polyphonic

Yamaha is expanding its "Ringtone@YAMAHA" ringing melody distribution service in China giving customers using China Unicom's CDMA phones a vast choice of different melodies for their handset ringers. The service to distribute harmonic 16- and 40-tone ringing melodies nationwide will begin on July 1, 2003, permitting China Unicom CDMA mobile phone subscribers. The new service will offer ringing melodies in a wide range of genres, including the latest Chinese pop hits. It will also provide a weekly listing of recommended melodies. More advanced functions such as search capabilities and a request area will be added to the site after the service launch.

In tandem with the explosive growth in mobile phone use in China over the past few years, use of internet-capable CDMA phones has also expanded rapidly since China Unicom launched services in January 2002. The number of users has grown from 7 million at the end of 2002 and is expected to reach 20 million by the end of 2003.

Yamaha already provides ringing melody services in Hong Kong and Guangdong, and the "Ringtone@YAMAHA" service will draw on the expertise and experience Yamaha has gained in these operations as well as from the company's success in supplying 3.4 million users in Japan with a vast selection of melodies optimized for each mobile phone model. Yamaha's ICP partner will be Hong Kong-headquartered iiL Corp., which collaborated in launching ringing melody distribution services in Hong Kong."

Posted to the site on 18th July 2003