Siemens to highlight mobile innovations at GITEX 2003

As well as its latest models, the industry giant will also highlight the current challenges facing the market and revealing the prototypes it believes are the way forward in User Interface Design.

On show will be seven state-of-the-art Siemens mobile models. The magnificent seven - the A52, A60, C60, C62, SL55, ST55 and the flagship SX1 - cover the latest range of handsets, technologies and features.

But while these fun, funky and functional handsets will be the choices of today's users, Siemens mobile will also be addressing the serious issues and current challenges facing mobile phone manufacturers.

"In the industry, there is always pressure to innovate," Kazni Najib Ashraf, head of sales at Siemens mobile phones for the Middle East and Africa. "Over the years, Siemens Information and Communications Mobile has achieved a number of milestones such as being the first to market Java-enabled devices, the first to launch cordless feature phones and the first to launch GPRS modules. At Gitex 2003, we will be also looking at several prototypes we believe will keep us at the forefront of this challenging marketplace."

The Siemens innovative range of mobile prototypes and new product designs will provide an exciting insight into the future of mobile communications.

Among the prototypes will be a mock-up and movie display of a 3-D touchscreen, a virtual mouse and a virtual full-size keyboard. The development of all three could mean the removal of actual keypads as technological advancements continue at a rapid pace.

More virtual assistance will come in the shape of Siemens' virtual assistants. These on-screen characters - in human or animated form - are known as Avatars and act as messengers or provide support for some of the mobile phone's functions.

The future of mobile phone gaming will be available through the Augmented Reality Game, which combines reality with the virtual world: The Siemens mobile phone with integrated camera and colour screen can capture the surrounding environment and then, for example, create virtual creatures to be hunted down.

Other future prototypes on display will include the paperlike display, which will soon make it possible to have larger displays on smaller mobile phones, and a pen interaction demonstrator.

But while that is for the future, today's technology will be perfectly highlighted in a number of Siemens mobiles. Leading the way is the Siemens SX1. Although launched earlier this year, it is now considered a design classic boasting the world's most powerful suite of features and applications for its size. Branded the perfect mobile for those who "work hard, play harder", the SX1 encompasses a myriad of business and entertainment features ranging from a built-in video player, camcorder, FM radio and music player to the business applications comparable to a PDA.

At the other end of the scale are the A52 and A60, superb value-for money mobiles aimed at the entry-level section of emerging markets.

Among the easiest to use and most reliable mobiles in their class, these trendy looking models are designed for fast and simple communications at a low cost.

The traditional looking, mid-range triband handset the C60 has an attachable camera with flash, a sound record function, colour screen and a user-friendly interface, while the C62 has an optional attachable QuickPic camera with integrated flash, rich colour screen and modern design. Rounding out the product line up are the tiny SL55 tri-band GSM handset - a small yet elegant mobile that fits into the palm of a hand - and the pocketsize ST55 multimedia mobile phone, with extra large TFT colour display, five-way joystick navigation, integrated 4x zoom camera and an exclusive sleek metallic finish.

But while the models will be on display, consumers will have to wait just a little longer before taking advantage of the new technology. All Siemens mobiles on display at Gitex 2003 will only be available later in the year and throughout 2004.

Kazni Najib Ashraf added: "These mobiles embrace the latest technology with each offering an array of features to satisfy the most demanding of users across the spectrum. The SX1, for example, has the world's most powerful suite of features and applications for a phone of its size, while the C62 is a fun phone that is much more than just a fashion accessories."

The Siemens Information and Communication Mobile group (Siemens mobile) offers the complete range of mobile solutions including mobile devices, infrastructure and applications. Devices include mobile phones, fashion accessory phones, wireless modules, mobile organisers and cordless phones as well as products for wireless home networks. The infrastructure portfolio includes GSM, GPRS and 3G mobile network technologies from base stations and switching systems to intelligent networks, e.g. for pre-paid services. Mobile applications cover end-to-end solutions for Messaging, location Based Services or Mobile Payment. For fiscal 2002 (September 30), Siemens mobile recorded sales of EUR 11 billion and employed approximately 28,600 people worldwide.