Strains of Camera Phone Demand
One development Nikkei recently reported is an ongoing shortage of camera phone lenses: “Camera-equipped cell phones, which debuted in late 2000, made up roughly 33.7 percent of total cell phone shipments in the first half of fiscal 2002, according to the Multimedia Research Institute. The figure reportedly jumped to 70 percent in the second half, and shipments of camera-equipped cell phones are estimated to have totaled more than 20
million units for the entire fiscal year.”According to the article, 1 megapixel phones require special glass lenses, the same lenses that are used in consumer digital cameras, which are also seeing production stretched to the limit (shipments grew 66 percent to 24.55 million units in 2002, surpassing the Camera & Imaging Products Association’s earlier estimate by about 5 million units). If the high-end megapixel camera phones prove popular, there may be delays in fulfilling demand.
Are there any numbers for Europe?
Also interesting in this regard: Mobile phones that send and receive images are the latest threat to privacy,
How to use Sha-Mail (japanese)
Sha-Mail and Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS) in Japan,
Sha-Mail FAQ and
Consumer mobile data to rake in $124b
