Vodafone produces first handset

Vodafone

Vodafone is taking on the likes of Nokia and Motorola by launching a range of own-brand handsets.

The Vodafone 710 is the first handset manufactured for the mobile giant by China’s Huawei Technologies following a strategic alliance signed by the two companies in February this year.

The phone will be the first of a range from Vodafone, which says it wants to match the established manufacturers on quality, technology and price, while using the strength of the Vodafone brand.

The Vodafone 710 features services such as Vodafone Radio DJ, mobile TV, music downloads, video telephony and Vodafone Live! with 3G. The phone, which will be launched in Vodafone’s main European markets including the UK in early October, also includes an MP3 player, a 1.3 megapixel camera and Bluetooth.

Vodafone’s global director of terminals Jens Schulte-Bockum says: "Today’s announcement supports Vodafone’s commitment to drive 3G penetration across our customer base and the fact the Vodafone 710 will be available as pre-pay in many markets will help to achieve this."