GSM/CDMA models lead dual-mode phone market

Tag : dual sim phone
back to top 3G-based GSM/W-CDMA phones bullish in Taiwan


GSM/W-CDMA phones, riding on the back of the bullish 3G market,will lead Taiwan's dual-mode phone sector. These phones supportmultiple modes and strong multimedia functions. The models come insmart phone or PDA phone types.
GSM/W-CDMA phones are expected to account for more than 40 percentof Taiwan's 7.2 million unit mobile phone output this year,according to the Market Intelligence Center (MIC). The segment'sshare of handset sales has been on an upswing, boosted by thepopularity of 3G/3.5G phones. Taiwan's GSM/W-CDMA phones rose tosecure 35.8 percent of phone sales in Q1 2008 from 7.8 percent inQ4 2007. The market volume reached 679,000 units, increasing by181,000 units from the previous quarter.
Meanwhile, GSM/GPRS phones' share of the market fell 7.4 percent to60.6 percent as many subscribers switched to W-CDMA phones. CDMAphones' market share slipped by 0.4 percent, reaching 3.6 percentin Q1 2008.
The sluggish GSM/CDMA phone segment has about two to three activeplayers. On the other hand, about seven to eight suppliers makeGSM/GPRS and GSM/W-CDMA mobile phones.
Buyers can source phones that combine Wi-Fi and GSM/GPRS/EDGE orWiMAX and W-CDMA/GSM/GPRS/EDGE from makers such as BenQ Corp.(Qisda) and dMedia System Co. Ltd. Companies such as Wistron NeWebCorp. (WNC) are investing in GSM/Wi-Fi or GPRS/Wi-Fi, GSM/PHS andeven triple-mode GPRS/GSM/PHS phones. Inventec Appliances Corp.supplies GSM/CDMA and GSM/GPRS phones. The company also providesdual-SIM card phones. back to top GSM/CDMA 1X thriving in mainland China


To escape dropping sales in the CDMA-only line and take advantageof the strong GSM market, more mainland China makers are developingdual-mode GSM/CDMA 1X phones. The concept is in fact being extendedto GSM/PHS and GSM/TD-SCDMA phones, all in a bid to further broadenmarket scope.
About 30 to 40 mobile phone suppliers in mainland China producedual-mode GSM/CDMA phones. Since 2007, newcomers, includingmedium-scale and large companies, have been venturing into theGSM/CDMA phone segment. Some of the leading makers, including ZTECorp., Qingdao Hisense Communication Co. Ltd and Guangzhou NewPostcom Equipment Co. Ltd, are also engaged in developingGSM/TD-SCDMA phones.
Most dual-mode GSM/CDMA phones are targeted at the mainland Chinadomestic market. Nonetheless, makers plan to design feature-richmodels and penetrate markets such as Africa, India and the MiddleEast. Some companies such as Yulong Computer TelecommunicationScientific (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd and Dalian Daxian Telecom Co. Ltdalready ship a limited volume of their GSM/CDMA phones overseas.
Yulong, which targets the midrange and high-end markets, exportsits mobile phones to Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia andAfrica. The company has the capacity to make 400,000 dual-modephones a month, and actual production averages at 200,000 unitsmonthly. Yulong releases its phones under its own brand, Coolpad.
Dalian Daxian focuses on developing GSM/CDMA phones, releasingseveral models in 2007. To cater to all customer levels, thecompany is expanding its product lineup to cover low, midrange andhigh-end models.
A subsidiary of mobile phone supplier HKC Group, HPC InternationalLtd launched its first dual-mode GSM/CDMA phone in 2007. HPC catersto OEM and ODM buyers. back to top Multimode phones gaining traction


Taiwan's dual-mode phone market is diverse: Besides GSM/W-CDMAmodels, makers offer GSM/PHS and other dual-mode phones, as well astriple-mode GSM/GPRS/PHS handsets. Dual-SIM card phones are alsoavailable, and are typically positioned at the midrange products.These phones usually support GSM and CDMA networks, and havemultimedia capabilities.
WNC has released the P60S phone, which supports PIM and GSM 900MHz,DCS 1800MHz and PCS 1900MHz.
The C112 from Inventec is a dual-SIM card phone that supportsdual-mode GSM 900/1800MHz and CDMA 800MHz, as well as GPRS Class10.
AsusTek's M930 is a 2.5G/3G/3.5G phone that supports W-CDMA2100MHz, EDGE, GPRS, GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz, HSDPA (3.6Mbps),E-GPRS Class B and multi-slot Class 10.
The Touch Pro from High Tech Computer Corp. (HTC) features a 3.2MPcamera, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, 802.11b/g, GPS and A-GPS.
Following the rising WiMAX market, a new type of dual-mode phone isbeing introduced in Taiwan