As the only one of the four Australian network providers to take floor space at CeBIT Australia 2004, Vodafone used the venue to launch its BlackBerry service. Branded for Vodafone by RIM (developer of the BlackBerry), the tri-band 7230 is on the market in Australia for a recommended retail price of AUD 799 including 10% GST. Vodafone claims to have a joint development agreement with RIM and is also offering the BlackBerry product in New Zealand. Vodafone has two tariff plans on offer for the BlackBerry: the first costs AUD 49.95 per month for 'reasonable usage' and the second is a 'light usage' plan for AUD 29.95 per month including up to 500 emails.

Exhibiting for the first time at CeBIT Australia was Personal Broadband Australia, the company behind the newly-launched i-Burst high-speed data network that uses the 1905MHz-1910MHz band in Sydney. Claiming to be on-target with a subscriber base close to 1,000, the 12-BTS network operator said it was still growing rapidly and targeting the executive and professional market.

Among a plethora of IT and applications companies, there were three major handset suppliers exhibiting at CeBIT Australia 2004: LG, Sagem and Samsung. They were joined by Maxon Australia and a subsidiary of VK Mobile.

LG

LG displayed eight GSM handsets and only one CDMA model. Four of these, the 7100, 7050, 7130 and 5300i are already on the market in Australia. One was advertised as a prototype - the low-end L1300 vertical-bar model, which included a built-in camera, colour screen and organiser. The 5300i is available for AUD 149 on Vodafone's prepaid service including Red SIM. The clamshell CDMA model, the TD 7130, is available from both Hutchison and Telstra. The Telstra version has an attachable camera available. The 89g slide-design G7050 camera handset and the 99g swivel-folding clamshell G7100 are also available on the local market.

The G7100 has a camera mounted in the hinge, is WAP 2.0 and MMS-enabled and is equipped with voice star and voice memo. The C1100 is a tri-band, low-end, folding model badged for Orange (France). The model supports GPRS class 10 and is WAP 2.0, MMS 2.0 and JAVA-capable. Also for the low-end market, the GPRS-capable C3100 was displayed, featuring a 65,000 colour screen, MMS and JAVA, but no camera.

Formerly known as GT, the re-named T5100 is a clamshell model with a 1.23 megapixel camera, video download and playback capability, a built-in antenna, one 265,000 colour screen and 65,000 colour subscreen. The tri-band S1100 is a clamshell model with camera and mirror mounted in the flip front, a 65,000 colour screen inside and blue display on the outside. The handset supports GPRS class 10, JAVA and instant messaging. The model on display was badged for Orange (France) and is currently going through acceptability tests in Australia. Although not on display at the show, LG advised that another CDMA model, the TD 6000 with an in-built camera, is currently undergoing network trials with Telstra.

Samsung

Of the 11 handsets placed on display by Samsung, just as with LG, only one of these was a CDMA model, perhaps reflecting the relative sizes of the GSM and CDMA markets. The 74.6g N361 with a 65,000 colour screen, one-touch vibration alert and 900-entry phone book is currently available exclusively on Hutchison's Orange CDMA-800 network. Now available through Telstra and coming soon to Optus is the E100, an 80g dual-display GSM/GPRS clamshell model with IrDA, JAVA and MMS.

The 85g GSM/GPRS E700 with an in-built camera and antenna, dual colour screens, MMS and JAVA capability was launched in January 2004 and was, until recently, a best-seller on the Australian market. The 80g GPRS, JAVA and MMS-enabled X600 vertical-bar model that is now available through both Optus and Telstra, has a 180-degree rotating VGA camera with integrated flash light. The 85g GPRS, MMS and JAVA-capable X100 with an in-built antenna, was another vertical bar model on show. Exclusive to Telstra is the 80g mid-range S500, offering support for GPRS, a 65,000 colour internal screen and a blue external screen. The swivel-design 90g P730 with a 1.33 megapixel camera, 260,000 colour internal screen and MP3 player was also on display.

Not yet launched on the Australian market, were the 92g JAVA-capable, GPRS-enabled clamshell P510, which features a 65,000 colour TFT LCD internal screen and 16-grey OLED external screen; the 116g GPRS and JAVA-capable D410, with sliding keyboard and audio, multi-shot camera with zoom, effects and frames and a 262,000 colour TFT LCD screen; the 85g GPRS, JAVA and MMS-enabled clamshell E600, with an in-built camera and 65,000 TFT colour screens both internally and externally; and the 86g E800 with a sliding keyboard, in-built antenna, VGA digital camera and flash.

Sagem

Sagem displayed the tri-band GPRS, JAVA and MMS-enabled MY X-6 with an in-built camera, 4MB mas storage and data/fax modem. The handset is now available in a prepaid package on Telstra's network for AUD 249. Due to be released before the end of May 2004 with Vodafone is the WAP-enabled MY X-2, with colour, MMS and Hi-Fi ringtones, supporting JPEG, BMP, PNG and GIF. The handset will be available for under AUD 100 and not SIM-locked.

Also on display was the MY X5-2 that will replace the MY X-5, the MY C-3b ladies' clamshell and the Vodafone-branded MY V-55, V-65 and V-75 range with in-built cameras. The up-market MY V-75 has a video facility included.

In a separate display on the Sagem stand was the GSM-R range for rail communications. The MR 940 terminal is a hands-free model designed to allow staff member communication, while the more robust OPH 940 terminal is intended for track maintenance and repair operatives.

Toplux

A small Korean supplier presenting under the name of Toplux, a brand name of VK Mobile, also had three of its GSM products on display. A representative of an Australian distributor and wholesaler advised that Toplux products were designed by the company in Korea, but manufactured by Samsung. The two Toplux products on display were both tri-band GSM/GPRS clamshell models: the top-of-the-range AG 280 with a 1-megapixel in-built camera and the CG 260i MMS-enabled model with dual screens. Both handsets are currently undergoing Austel testing to assess their suitability for the Australian market. The company's major product line is MP3 players and there were about 10 of these displayed.

Maxon Australia

Also at CeBIT Australia were the Australian company Maxon, which now has no connection with the UK/Korean parent company after being the subject of a local management buy-out. Displayed on its stand was the CDMA2000 1X PCMCIA card MaXcard MM-5100P that is offered by Telstra in its PC Pack (). Maxon Electronics Australia also offered the MM-5100U USB dongle for CDMA2000 1X 800MHz single band operation. A CDMA2000 1X external modem, the MM-5100, was also on display.

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