They include the Nokia 5300 XpressMusic, the 5200, the 3250 XpressMusic, the N70 Music Edition, the N73 Music Edition, and the N91 (8GB).

Alex Lambeek, vice president of mobile-phone sales and market operations at Nokia Asia-Pacific, said digital music is a big market. Revenue has been increasing dramatically, he said, and music phones are becoming less of a novelty.

Nokia expects in the near future music phones will become the major sellers in the mobile-phone market around the world. An International Data Corporation survey found that around 60 per cent of consumers who have not owned an MP3 player or music phone would choose to purchase a music phone.

The Nokia 5300 XpressMusic comes with a slide-up design and can hold up to 1,500 tracks, approximately 75 albums, on a two-gigabyte micro SD card. Bundled with a dedicated music key, the phone allows users to control the playback of their music separately from all other functions. The Nokia 3250 XpressMusic also allows users to store up to 1,500 tracks. The Nokia N70 Music Edition supports 700 songs, the N73 Music Edition supports 1,500 songs, and the N91 (8GB) supports up to 6,000 songs.

There are now many music services such as music download websites, podcasting, and visual radio. These applications required the functionality of a music phone, Lambeek added.

Podcasting is a method of distributing multimedia files, such as audio or video programmes, over the Internet using syndication feeds. The content can be played on mobile devices and personal computers.

Podcasting is now available in six countries worldwide, including Singapore and India in Asia.

Visual Radio is a redefining FM radio experience made for mobile phones. For the first time, images and text are synchronised with radio broadcasts to send information and interactivity direct to mobile devices. Visual Radio offers greater access to factual content, participation in audience polls, and the ability to make instant purchases.

Lambeek said music phones are going forward with dramatic growth. The next-generation music phone was expected to come with higher memory storage and better software to improve the quality of sound.

Asina Pornwasin

The Nation

Manila