Occupy Cameraphone Market

In cameraphone (camera attached to mobile phone) market, rivals bagan to compete.

At 25th, according to communication industry, recently, as new cameraphone models are introduced, and related contents increase, cameraphone appears as a leading product instead of existing color mobile in the market.

The market of only 400 thousands sale in the first half of this year is expected to increase to 1.5 million sales in this year.

The owner of cameraphone can take photographic by using digital camera imbedded in the mobile phone, and save or transfer it. Particularly, cameraphone is very popular among the new generation that leads the trend of mobile phone. So cameraphone is expected to vitalize the market than has been stagnant because of the prevention of subsidy.

According to a market research, Strategy Analytics, “Cameraphone will accelerate the replacement of mobile phone, and market size will be 16 million units in year 2002 to 147 million units in year 2007.”

From 26th Samsung begins to sale ‘INT 2000 Phone (SCH-V300) that can take picture of moving image and freeze image. The direction can is adjusted 180 degree at maximum with 11o thousands pixels (it is the minimum unit to express the resolution of electronic image). It is a third generation mobile phone (CDMA2000 1x EV-DO) that can interchange data with the speed of 2.4Mbps at maximum.

Samsung Electronics will introduce a product (SCH-V310) that the owners can see and communicate with the other party through the camera of, and maintain the reputation of Anycall in the market.

LG Electronics has already introduced a cameraphone (LG-KH5000) that allows for the user to turn the LCD screen to 270 degree at maximum. It embeds 110 thousands pixels digital camera and the screen and cover can be inside out. LG Electronics will introduce a product of 300 thousands pixels and VOD function. Besides, SK Telecom, small and medium sized mobile phone manufacturers such as Sewon Telecom, Telson, etc, began to develop cameraphone.

Kim Un-sup, Executive of Samsung Electronics talked “ as the appearance of EV-DO mode service that increase the data transferring speed dramatically, the mobile phone embedding camera will be settled as a necessary product for the user.”

Tae-Han Kim freewill@donga.com