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Ericsson gives HSDPA a Latin flair
HSDPA rollouts seem to be progressing at a solid clip across Europe, Asia, and North America -- and before too long, we might be able to add Latin America to that list. Ericsson takes the honors for providing the infrastructure to light up the continent's first HSDPA network, which will find its home with Chile's ENTEL PCS. Technically, Ericsson is calling the network simply "HSPA," a generalization of HSDPA / HSUPA that leaves open the possibility of going big with upstream speeds down the road. For now, Ericsson is speaking in theoretical terms, saying only that it'll go "up to 14.4Mbps" down to the handsets, but a more realistic goal in the near term is the several hundred kilobits to a couple megabits per second most carriers around the world are currently providing. ¡Viva WCDMA![Thanks, Daydalaus]
Nokia unveils low-end 1325 / 1265 handsets for international markets
Nokia seems to be on its own campaign trail, releasing a few new phones each time it makes a stop in a new country. Not too long after taking the wraps off four new handsets over in Amsterdam, the firm is unveiling two new low-end handsets that are getting ready to hit the international front. At the 3G World Congress in Hong Kong, Nokia announced the forthcoming availability of two new candybar-styled CDMA mobiles, stripped down and ready to rock. The 2.5-ounce 1325 features a 64k color screen, wallpaper / ringtone customization, speakerphone, 90-second voice recorder, 3.5 hours of talk time, and up to 6.5 days of standby time. The 1265 goes way back, by offering up a monochrome screen, 60-second voice recorder, predictive text software, speakerphone, alarm clock, and the same battery life on both fronts as the slightly more luxurious 1325. Both of this units are slated to hit "select markets" within China, Asia-Pacific, Middle-East Africa and Latin America during "Q1 2007," but the presumably low prices still remain a mystery.[Via I4U]
Wii Points cards are a no-go for Latin America
The good news: Wii channels will be available in Spanish. The better news? The only way to purchase Wii Points in Latin America will be via the Wii Shopping Channel -- they will not be available in stores. However, according to Melissa Wright, Nintendo's Manager of Sales and Marketing for Latin America, the reason for this decision is to keep consumers from paying higher prices. And despite the difference between console prices in the US and in Mexico, costs for points and Virtual Console games will be the same in both regions. [Via Go Nintendo]
Ubisoft expands to Mexico
Ubisoft is establishing new offices in Mexico City, Mexico, making it the 22nd country with Ubisoft's presence and the first in Latin America. Ubisoft's world presence, which can be observed via their website, is reminiscent of the board game Risk. If Ubisoft's got a hot hand with a pair of dice, they might be able to out roll EA's forces and overtake Brazil. The French-originating company also announced their lineup for the Electronic Games Show in Mexico City. In addition to Open Season (shown on the PS2) and Rainbow Six Vegas (shown on the Xbox 360), Ubisoft will present three Nintendo Wii titles: Red Steel, Rayman Raving Rabbids, and Splinter Cell Double Agent. All the games are billed as holiday 2006 titles, all but ensuring Double Agent as one of the once-eight-now-seven Wii launch titles. [Via GameDaily]
Dexa, the new Hispanic MVNO, launches in LA
If you've been looking for an MVNO that speaks your language, and that language happens to be Español, then you're in luck. Dexa is a new GSM-based MVNO that plans to cater to the large Hispanic demand for prepaid phone service. The best guess for the actual carrier is Cingular, because Dexa is copying their marketing speak of "fewest dropped calls." That means there won't be data available to Dexa customers, just voice service, since Cingular doesn't provide data to MVNO customers. Right now Dexa is only available in LA, but with the large Hispanic market in the US we have a feeling they could be expanding fairly soon.
