June 22, 2005
Korean operators rush to put Bluetooth on phones
South Korean mobile phone makers are competing to expand their range of phones incorporating Bluetooth technology, reports Telecom Asia.
"Bluetooth phone development has been slow due to lack of installment of the technology in other devices such as computers and printers," said the sources.
According to IDC, 13% of mobile phones in the world are built with a Bluetooth chip. The figure is forecast to increase to 58% by 2008.
In South Korea, Samsung first introduced a Bluetooth color phone in October 2002. SK Teletech, a handset manufacturing unit of SK Telecom, introduced its IM-6200, also a Bluetooth phone, in May 2003 but sales were sluggish.
But this year marks a new era for Bluetooth phones in South Korea. The nation's top phone makers are competing to supply phones installed with Bluetooth chips in the market as the technology is becoming more ubiquitous.
According to the sources, around 10 new phones with Bluetooth technology are expected to be released within the year."
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