British mobile giant Vodafone Group has launched the first of its own-brand
consumer 3G handset last week, in a bid to accelerate consumer uptake of
3G services.
The new Vodafone 710 clamshell handset will be supplied by Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer Huawei Technologies under a strategic handset agreement the two companies signed in February this year.
Jens Schulte-Bockhum, global director of terminals at Vodafone, said the company expected the launch of the new low-cost handset will help accelerate the uptake of 3G services, especially from prepaid segment.
He said the handset will cost 30% less than that supplied by tier-one handset makers, which usually sell between $200-300.
The new handset, which includes an MP3 player, a 1.3-mega pixel camera and
Bluetooth connectivity, enable customers easier access to Vodafone's core
3G services such as Vodafone Radio DJ, mobile TV, music downloads and video
telephony.
Schulte-Bockhum said Vodafone will launch the handsets in all its major
units in Europe, including the
next month. The company plans to deliver a minimum of 200,000 units
initially over the coming six months.
According to Schulte-Bockhum, Huawei is the second handset vendor supplying
customized, white-label mobile phones to Vodafone, after
has provided Vodafone-branded smartphones for the group's high-end business
customers.