Showcasing its latest multi-media device, Finnish handset manufacturer – Nokia, the supplier of four out of every ten phones sold, unveiling its’ mobile television channel, consisting a series of 96-second programmes, hopes users will embrace TV watching on the go. 

With the launch of N96 – Nokia’s latest handset, scheduled for 1st October 2008, the six new programmes covering motoring, fashion, gadgets, comedy, culture and homes, are specifically designed to showcase the multi-media capabilities of the new arrival.  

Though mobile network 3 introduced 3G in UK in 2003, its limited success in persuading UK consumers to watch TV on their mobile phones saw it abandoning the idea of becoming a multimedia player.  

This, however, has not dissuaded Nokia, who’s UK Managing Director, Simon Ainslie believes, earlier attempts at introducing mobile TV were much ahead of their time. He believes consumer appetite for sites like YouTube, etc. combined with ‘all you can eat’ pricing plans, have made mobile television watching much more of a viability in the past 12-months. 

Since, Nokia does not view itself as a long-term major content provider, it has tied-up with BBC to kick-start mobile TV watching, providing Nokia’s N96 users access to its popular iPlayer 7-day catch-up service, thus signalling a major move into commissioning. 

The initial six programmes provided include: Cabin Fever (presented by Fifth Gear’s Jonny Smith), Portfolio (fashion sense by Margo Stilley), Pulse (hosted by Designer Wayne Hemingway), Byte-Wize (gadget show by David Phelan), Power Pads (Cribs and interior design inspired show presented by Ben de Lisi) and Funnyhaha (a comedy set inside the mind of drag queen celeb and creator Jonny Woo). 

It remains to be seen whether the mobisodes will be a run away hit! Another week and we should know!