3 launch X-Series on Symbian phones - flat rate mobile broadband
Published by Rafe Blandford at 12:48 UTC, November 16th 2006
3, the 3G mobile operator, has announced the launch of X-Series. X-Series brings 'flat fee broadband access to mobile'. 3 is partnering with other companies to create X-Series services and applications, these include Sling Player, Google, Orb, eBay, Skype, MSN and Yahoo. X-Series will launch in the UK in December with other 3 countries to follow in the new year. The handsets that will feature X-Series include the Sony Ericsson W950 (UIQ 3) and the Nokia N73 (S60).
3 have said 'they are leaving the walled garden behind', although 3 does still intend to strongly market Planet 3. However it will also enable people to go elsewhere. 3 are branding a range of services as X-Series applications all of which will be charged for on the flat rate principal.
These X-Series applications include:
- Skype (Voice and IM) - Skype to Skype calls will be free on 3 mobiles.
- Yahoo and MSN IM
- Yahoo Service through Yahoo Go!
- Google Search and services
- Mobile Browsing
- Sling Player (place shifting media from your television)
- Orb (place shifting content from your PC)
They have announced a new charging model; you will pay for your connection and for premium content, but not for mobile browsing and other 'free' services. Charges will be based on flat rates for the use of X-Series application on 3. The over all policy is based upon the precept that 'what is free on the Internet ought, in principal, be free on mobile'.
The handset partners for X-Series are Nokia and Sony Ericsson. Handsets that will feature X-Series include the Sony Ericsson W950 and the Nokia N73.
During the launch event 3 assembled an impressive line of up its partners in X-Series to talk about their services:
- Skype (Nikolas Zennstrom) is allowing you to take the ability to contact your Skype buddies mobile.
- Yahoo (Dominique Vidal) has seen millions of searches from 3 handsets.
- Windows Live / Microsoft (Sharon Baylay): Since August there have been 100 million conversations via MSN on the 3 network in the UK.
- Google believe that no strings attached access to the Internet from mobile will open up usage.
- eBay believe X-Series is a key milestone allowing consumers to experience the Internet away from their desk.
- Nokia (Kai Öistanö) believe access to the Internet and connected service is the killer app. The N73 is the first handset to support all the X-Series handsets.
- Sony Ericsson (Miles Flint) it is about lifestyle. Mobile is becoming a core part of how we live. Moving to flat rate is about unlocking this potential.
- Orb (Joe Costello) believes X-Series will have a profound effect because thus far infrastructure and cost problems have meant the mobile Internet has been a bust.
- Sling (Blake Krikorian) thinks this is a monumental day because Hutchinson is not afraid to delight the consumer.
More information is available from the X-Series website. Also check out the X-Series Blog here (launch post here).
Thought
Potentially the X-Series announcement is very significant because it allows what Symbian terms the 'Smartphone Lifestyle' to become a reality. Until now many of the innovative services that are possible thank to 3G technologies and open OS platforms have stalled due to a lack of operator support. By basing an entire strategy on the idea of flat rate mobile broadband access with open access to services 3 are removing a very significant barrier to uptake.
Initially flat rate pricing will be high, but it is likely to fall in time. By packaging a number of 3rd party services in their offering 3 are seeking to differentiate themselves from their competition, but also create a compelling use case for consumers. The majority of consumers do not buy on the basis of getting flat rate access to the Internet from their phone, but rather because they can see they can do any number of things (Watch TV, IM, Voice, Browse) for a flat rate price.
From a handset point of view it is an offering like X-Series that should drive more mass consumer into using these phones because they now offer something consumers want.
However at the same time it is worth pointing out that T-Mobile have had a flat rate mobile broadband option for some time now, so 3 is not the first in this respect. The bundling of a variety of services does offer some innovation and it is the service (the use case and user experience) not the technology (flat rate mobile broadband) that will make or break the service. In the short terms, in terms of the mass market, free IM, given its widespread mass market use and popularity may have the biggest impact given the potential impact on SMS revenues.
See also:
newswireless.net and also this newswireless.net transcript.
Categories: Software, Hardware, Industry
Platforms: General, S60 3rd Edition, UIQ 3
News Discussion
- how do they enable Skype voice on Sony Ericsson W950 (UIQ 3) and the Nokia N73 (S60) ?
So far we haven't seen a working client with good voice support. It has been said that a 400Mhz processor is the minimum to run it decently...
The press release says that Skype to Skype call will be free on 3's network, are those calls using data packet connection or has 3 made a deal with Skype for a old-school circuit-switch interconnection? VoIP calls should only become more bandwidth-effective than CS calls when HSDPA comes to picture...
Appart from bringing Skype voice to 2 Symbian phones, this offer is all about bundling existing peaces together (flat rate plan, good data/internet apps), which is not bad either (considering the potential main-stream penetration), but if you're lucky to live in a country with reasonable mobile flat-rate plans, then you can DIY.
This new service from 3 is similar to what we in India have been enjoying through airtel mobile office flat rate internet gprs service. only difference in these two is however a major one that we still don't have 3g here. all that we get is plain old gprs service with edge. Though it still better than a service bound with access charges, getting a similar service on 3g is just too good. Hope we get something like that soon.
As it goes for the extra services being provided by partnering with content providers like yahoo and google, they are nothing new for regular users of mobile internet. But providing them officially in a package is a smart move by 3, they get full points for that.
http://mobhappy.com/blog1/2006/08/10...face-of-skype/
So not a full-feature standalone Skype client but rather IM/presence over packet data connection and Voice via circuit-switched call thourgh Iskoot gateway.
Not a bad thing after all as this should allow good voice quality Skype call. But a Java client... Do you think the N73 will have enough RAM to run Skype/iskoot java client, Yahoo!Go, MSN and maybe other apps at same time??