Operators call for branded handsets in 3G row

Speaking at the 3GSM Congress, Vodafone and Orange both said that the days of operators taking generic handsets from manufacturers were fast coming to an end.

"There is a fundamental change in how operators will engage with manufacturers in the future," said Richard Frankl, director of strategy for Vodafone, predicting a change towards more operator branded handsets.

Orange head of global product management, Martin Keogh, also called for manufacturers to work more closely with the operators in developing phone services.

"There's one phone on the market where it takes 17 clicks to take and send a photo," he said. "That's not good enough, Keeping things simple is a real challenge."

However, both Orange and Vodafone did concede that manufacturers were beginning to open up to operators' requirements in developing handsets.

Earlier this week,, Jorma Ollia defended the manufacturers' ability to deliver 3G handsets in the right quantity and quality in the second half of the year, when the major operators plan to launch their 3G services.

This came in response tofrom Vodafone CEO, Arun Sarin, and T-Mobile's Rene Obermann among others, that the handset manufacturers were to blame for the delay in roll-out of 3G services.



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"www.vodafone.co.uk ":http://www.vodafone.co.uk

"www.nokia.com ":http://www.nokia.com

"www.t-mobile.com ":http://www.t-mobile.com