SlashPhone » TD-SCDMA

Nokia launches the Nokia 6788 TD-SCDMA Slider

Kim Poh Liaw — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:32:32 +0000

Nokia today announced the Nokia 6788, its first device for TD-SCDMA – China’s domestic 3G standard, at an event in Beijing. The Nokia 6788 is specifically designed for China Mobile’s network, featuring a 5-megapixel (2592 x1944) camera with a dual-LED flash, a 2.8″ QVGA display, and the hugely-successful Symbian S60 platform, the Nokia 6788 allows people to instantly share the things that matter to them most. The Nokia 6788 is expected to be available at the end of December 2009.

Nokia 6788 TD-SCDMA Specifications:

User Interface: S60 3rd Edition
Dimension: 105.6 x 54.9 x 18.0 mm (L x W x H)
Weight: 158 g
Display: 2.8 inch QVGA LCD, TFT display with up to 16 million colors (240 x 320 pixels)
Battery: Nokia Battery BL-6F, 1200 mAh
Memory: 4 GB on-board memory, plus 8 GB expansion via microSD memory card slot
Video playback: MPEG4 VGA @ 30 fps
5 megapixel camera, Carl Zeiss Tessar Lens
Flash: Dual LED camera flash and video light
Talk time: Up to 250 min (TD-SCDMA), 200 min (GSM), 150 min (video telephony)
Standby time: Up to 210 hrs (TD-SCDMA), 200 hrs (GSM)
Video playback: Up to 6 hrs (offline mode)
Music playback: Up to 15 hrs (offline mode)
Micro USB connector, Hi-Speed USB 2.0
3.5 mm stereo headset plug
Bluetooth 2.0 EDR with A2DP stereo audio
GPS receiver with support for assisted GPS (A-GPS)

LG GW880 OPhone for China Mobile

Kim Poh Liaw — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:01:46 +0000

Soon to be available in China, LG planned to release its LG GW880 smartphone with China Mobile’s OPhone OS. The OPhone OS is based on Android OS, featuring iPhone-like interface and the company’s mobile software store called Mobile Market. OPhone SDK is compatible with Android SDK, Android software can be easily used on OPhone platform with the same API.

The LG GW880 supports China’s 3G connection (TD-SCDMA)/EDGE, comes with a 3.5-inch touch screen, WVGA resolution, 512 MB ROM/256MB RAM, GPS, Bluetooth and 5 megapixel camera. Check out more photos below.

[via sina]

China approves (non-Chinese) 3G wireless standards

Budi Putra — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 03:19:00 +0000

The Chinese government just approved the implementation of next-generation 3G wireless services. The country’s regulation body would issue license for each of the three major standards: the homegrown TD-SCDMA standard as well as the global standards the CDMA 2000 and W-CDMA.

The two international 3G standards had implemented in the United States, Europe and Asia.

The world’s biggest market for wireless service intends to pursue its own 3G wireless standard, TD-SCMA technology, to reduce royalty and patent payments for the use of the CDMA 2000 and W-CDMA (also known as UMTS) technologies.

[NYTimes via Ars Technica| Photo credit: China Daily]

Digia integrates TD-SCDMA to Nokia S60 platform

Kim Poh Liaw — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 01:11:01 +0000

Digia Plc has integrated TD-SCDMA to Nokia S60 platform. TD-SCDMA, also known as Chinese 3G, is integrated for the first time to S60 using Digia Telephony solution earlier created for GSM and WCDMA. The new solution allows creation of 3G S60 phones for the rapidly growing Chinese market. The solution was demonstrated in Beijing, China using TD-SCDMA/EDGE modem by ST-NXP Wireless and T3G Technologies as well as China Mobile’s TD-SCDMA 3G network.

Jari-Pekka Heikkilä, VP Smartphone from Digia: “Digia believes that the Chinese users desire to use fast 3G connections with their high end phones. Due to congested networks and limited capabilities of GSM networks in China, TD-SCDMA networks offer dramatic increase of data speeds, and truly enable the smartphone market in China.”

TD-SCDMA networks are currently operational in eight major Chinese cities and coverage is planned to shortly cover all major cities. As the only 3G network technology already accepted in China TD-SCDMA is expected to become the main 3G access technology. The number of TD-SCDMA devices will grow rapidly in China similarly as has already happened with WCDMA 3G devices in Europe.

TD-SCDMA Surfaces into Commercial Daylight

Kim Poh Liaw — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:41:55 +0000

“Though China’s government has yet to issue its 3G licenses and telecom restructuring is still ongoing, TD-SCDMA is now live,” reports ABI Research analyst Hwai Lin Khor. “After many years of research and development, and many trials conducted by China Mobile, the 3G service has made a ’soft’ launch in eight cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou and Shenzhen starting April 2008 on a trial basis.”

To attract subscribers, China Mobile has also opened TD-SCDMA “experience shops” in these major cities to allow the public to experiment with TD-SCDMA handsets and gain confidence with TD-SCDMA’s capabilities.

In order to make TD-SCDMA service an incremental upgrade from existing 2.5G subscriptions, China Mobile is understood to be charging TD-SCDMA subscribers monthly subscription fees of RMB50($7)/month and RMB0.6($0.09)/minute for video calls, while mobile Internet usage will be based on a flat rate with a capped usage plan. Charges for voice calls, SMS, MMS and additional data traffic are maintained at the same rate as existing plans. Value-added services already available for 2.5G subscribers, including a wireless music club, mobile newspaper, and mobile wallet, are also accessible to TD-SCDMA subscribers at the same rate but with an improved user experience.

“China Mobile is planning to roll out 3G-specific services such as mobile TV, video sharing applications, video conferencing, etc. progressively during 2008,” notes Hwai Lin Khor. “ABI Research believes this price plan and service package will attract existing young subscribers to make the switch.”

During this initial launch, 60,000 dual-mode TD-SCDMA/GSM handsets and 15,000 data cards will be on sale in China Mobile’s TD-SCDMA experience shops, from popular brands such Samsung, LG, Hisense, Lenovo, ZTE, and Postcom. These handsets are in the mid- to high-end range with built-in camera, wide screen, and extensive multimedia applications. China Mobile is believed to be selling these phones for subsidized prices of RMB2,000 ($286) – RMB4,000 ($572).

“Now is when the real test kicks in,” concludes Hwai Lin Khor, “gauging TD-SCDMA’s performance under conditions of mass and varied mobility usage.”

Chinese 3G could be delayed to 2010 claims Beijing analyst

Chris Davies — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:45:13 +0000

China is often described as the next big market for cellular technology, but consumers there will likely have to wait a while longer before they can get 3G service on their handsets. According to Jonathan Dharmapalan, a partner at Ernst & Young and head of the company’s global telecommunications centre in Beijing, the rollout and licencing of China’s home-grown TD-SCDMA standard could potentially be delayed until 2010. Citing parallels with GSM’s development and deployment, Dharmapalan suggested that trials of the high-speed technology, which began this month, will likely last between 12 and 24 months before any licencing to carriers takes place.

TD-SCDMA is China’s own alternative 3G standard, which it created to avoid arguments over licencing fees for existing technologies. It then went on to put pressure on carriers, supposedly, to support TD-SCDMA either alongside or instead of other CDMA alternatives. The original intention was to have the 3G network up and running in time for the Beijing Olympics in August, but outside of the city users are expected to have to wait significant periods before they have high-speed cellular access. Analysts initially estimated licencing to take place at the end of this year or at the beginning of 2009, but according to Dharmapalan that is looking increasingly unlikely.

China Mobile, who are operating the trial deployment, have issued 20,000 handsets and 5,000 data cards using TD-SCDMA to users in Beijing and seven other cities. Motorola and Nokia are among the manufacturers ready to produce compatible hardware once the 3G carriers are selected. The Chinese government are yet to comment on suggestions that the licencing will be further delayed.