Digia integrates Chinese 3G into S60 platform

[Rafe]

Digia has announced it has integrated TD-SCDMA to the S60 platform. TD-SCDMA is the version of 3G being used in China with networks covering 8 major cities and more to follow. The solution will enable manufacturers to reduce device development time as they will be able to use a ready-to-go software and hardware package (specifically a TD-SCDMA/EDGE modem from ST-NXP Wireless). This should help increase S60's market penetration in China.

Read on in the full article.

[Tzer2]

Another one of those incredibly significant stories that no one will notice.

If S60 can get a foothold in China (which is plausible as S60 handsets are getting so cheap and China is getting so rich) that would be an enormous boost for the platform, as the Chinese smartphone market could eventually be bigger than Europe's.

The general media: "Hey, forget that, lets talk about a handset with a comparatively tiny user base, considerably inferior hardware, but lots of hype! iPhone! iPhone! iPhone!"

[N/A]

Most/many of the Nokia S60 devices are already sold in China without 3G (WCDMA) as there are not yet any WCDMA networks operational in China.

TD-SCDMA is a China-specific competitive 3G alternative, and China has waited until it is ready for deployment, before allowing other (competing) 3G technologies to get a foothold.

[ashu]

i do not know about this technology. But it looks like cdma based 3g. Is this true? What will happen to super loyal iPhone lovers in china then? If its not gsm, what will nikolay (a letter from the iPhone world) do!!!.

[davidmaxwaterma]

S60 phones already sell massively in China, and have done for many years. Of course, it's usually the cheapest ones (my friend has a 6120c, iirc), but there are plenty of n95. I used to see at least one every day when I lived in Beijing. Yes, Series40 phones sell more, but still, as an S60 developer, China was one of our biggest markets (with Russia, India and Indonesia being the others) - and that was judging from OTA downloads (using network-id/etc) so usage of internet/cell isn't that uncommon either, which I find more surprising.

[Rafe]

Indeed China is already a significant market for S60, but in the longer term integration like this will only help. It'll be interesting to see what happens with the regulatory framework in China over the next few years.

Rafe