Posted by axxxr
Lebanese customers will soon be able to view what is, quite possibly, the biggest Islamic-related product since the prayer beads. For the past two years, a Dubai-based firm has been developing a cellular telephone the promises to "connect you to your beliefs wherever you are."
This high tech flip phone does more than point devout users in the direction of Mecca from 5,000 cities worldwide. It also stores the entire Koran and is equipped with a Yamaha sound system that can be programmed to play the Islamic call to prayer, or Azan, up to five times per day.
Manufactured in Korea, the i800 is Ilkone's first product. Ilkone, Arabic for "'the universe', is a majority-Arab owned company that stakes claim to being the first regional player to enter the Middle East's rapidly growing mobile market and with releases soon planned in Malaysia, Turkey, and Indonesia, they have high hopes for capturing a substantial share of the world's estimated 1.3 billion Muslims.
A two inch, 65,000 color screen allows Muslim users to clearly view the entire text of the Koran, with English meaning translations, a search engine, games, high resolution photos, and text messages. The dual screen also offers an Islamic Hijra calendar and 12 GPRS technology - the latest in mobile internet connectivity.
"It's a very practical way of performing your Islamic duties," says Houssam Khatib, the general manager of local Ilkone distributor Office Technologies, "The Islamic applications make the phone unique." Khatib says he expects the i800 to capture 4 percent of the local market, not very much compared to Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt, where Ilkone' s share could even dominate the market.
So why release it first in Beirut? Khatib says it will be an easy testing ground since distribution in the Saudi market will be more complex and possibly involve several agents.
Ilkone is not limited to only Islamic phones. They expect to become a global mobile player by releasing three additional and unrelated models by the end of 2004. The i800, which may lack a few features of the latest mobile phones, it is prospected to do very well in the conservative states like Saudi Arabia, where camera phones are banned.
Al Azhar, one of the world's leading centers for Islamic scholarship, reviewed and has certified this phone. Religious claims aside, consumer spending power could be the biggest factor in this phone, and this company's, success. The i800 will be selling locally for $496 USD.
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Source:
http://www.terra.net.lb/wp/Ar[....]?ArticleID=149747&ChannelId=16
[ This Message was edited by: axxxr on 2004-04-13 16:28 ]
[ This Message was edited by: axxxr on 2004-06-25 05:06 ]
Posted by PeterKay
That is definately good news, being the fastest growing religion in the world them fones should sell fast.
Any more info? any links?
Posted by BobaFett
religion online. impressive. do interested how the arabian world will react on it.
Posted by PeterKay
I am sure that they will be most appreciative.
Posted by axxxr
I Dont have much more info on this revolutionary new product as of yet!..But as always will keep u updated as more details r released!
My opinion about this phone is that it will very popular amongst practising muslims around the world.A lot of muslims find it difficult to know the exact direction of mecca when they are in different countries and knowing when the prayer time is according to time zones.This product will make life a lot lot easier.
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Posted by soichiro
very impressive. brilliant!
Posted by joebmc
_________________
T68m(i)-->T610 [ This Message was edited by: joebmc on 2004-04-13 17:13 ]
Posted by axxxr
Thats not very funny joebmc!..have some respect for other ppl's religion!
Posted by joebmc
Sorry
Posted by PeterKay
Yeh! Thats not funny @joebmc.
Keep your opinions to yourself m8.
Posted by mipgo
cool
now we still need the catholic version of that phone
i never remember our holidays LOL
cheers
Posted by bart
i think chance of this thing to work is very low. most arabic country's only sell nokia phones, and the people there love them, and there are enough sits where they can find all there religion needs.
Posted by iyiinsan
It won't sell in Turkey for 2 reasons;
1) Turkey is a Nokia-lover country. When you go out, you see 4 people out of 5 have a Nokia.
2) Some "I-Don't-know-nothin'-about-religion-but-I-make-up-things-just-to-get-some-attention" people (boy, that was long!) said a lot of things about the Digital Kuran (Or Quran, Qoran; whatever it written in English) and they were beleived by the unenlightened, extreme-beleivers (You know, the idiots who want Ottoman Empire back and stuff). I mean, it reads the Kuran aloud in Arabic or Turkish, and it writes the translations on its screen in French, English or German; that's not bad. Thanks God we have "Ministry of Religion" which tells what is wrongdoing and which is not. They've corrected it but the dumb*ss'es I wrote about above will find a reason for this phone either.
Posted by axxxr
iyiinsan just because u belong to a nation who is a so called muslim country anyway!..if u think only exremists have a need for this kind of technology then u really do have a lot to learn about Islam!
This kind of phone will and can make life a lot easier who observe the religious prayer 5 times a day!.
Posted by Vlammetje
well..... I think it may do very well. A high end phone that shows a clear religious point... may indeed score high. I don't really see where bart gets his wisdom that all practising muslims are nokia lovers (or something along those lines) but knowing many many muslims away from home that have to constantly adept their time of prayer and especially during ramadan to keep track of the correct times of fasting... something like this could prove to be a 'godsend' (no pun intended) for those ppl.
besides.... more and more ppl turn to their religion again in today chaotic world (think passion of the christ and the ridiculous USA sales of muscled and tattood 'superhero jesus' dolls) and any company that catches the spirit of the times enough to market on them is bound to get a success.
Besides... I already know a few ppl who would want this little gadget
Posted by Ayush
@Vlam i thought it was 'ramzan'
Posted by Vlammetje
here they call it Ramadan
so I'll just go with that
Posted by axxxr
no vlam is correct it is Ramadan
Posted by sapporobaby
@A(forgot your name while posting)
Asalaam Alekum Wr Wb,
This is a great product. It would an interesting product to offer as I am here in the ME, Kuwait to be exact. Nokia is the number one selling phone here, but SE is gaining ground because of their new and innovative phones. There are two excellent applications for prayer times for the P900 that I use. They allow customization of the Adhan as well. I happen to use Husary for Fagr and Yusef Islam for the remaining prayers. Thanks for the info.
Posted by soichiro
@sapporobaby: wa'alaikum salam wr wb
Posted by sapporobaby
@soichiro
How are you? "lumpaland / occasionally in roponggi" is this anywhere in Finland?
Posted by wrecked_porsche
Nope, he is from Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur
Posted by purge
This phone will be illegal in the UK.
Posted by sapporobaby
@Purge,
Why would this phone be illegal in the UK?
If is something racist or Islamophobic or insulting, please keep it yourself for the sake of other.
[ This Message was edited by: sapporobaby on 2004-04-13 21:58 ]
Posted by axxxr
purge does'nt know what he's talking about!...Under what law would this handset be illegle?..i think its the law he would call Islamophobia.
Posted by sapporobaby
@axxxr
Asalaam Alekum. Let's be fair and wait for a reply before we determine that this is the true intention.
Peace
Posted by axxxr
Oh i think hes intentions are clear...Look what hes been saying about the Iraqi relgious leader in the Iraq thread!
http://www.esato.com/board/viewtopic.php?topic=55941&start=15
Posted by sapporobaby
Sorry my brother.
I agree with you completely. Let him stay ignorant. It seems to suit him quite well.
Posted by axxxr
no u dont have to say sorry its ok!..
Posted by Vlammetje
praps any form of religious outing NOT conform the Church of England should be illegal in his perception?
Posted by fanditha
most of the western ppl know nothing abt Islam..coz todays western media has corrupted the image of the muslim world.n they dunt wanna even know what really is Islam as a religion. I think they gootta learn some basic truths and facts abt islam and a good point to start is internet...i think they r really jealous abt its rapid growth in the world. btw, its the best religion one can ever find...
Posted by imran_soorya
MASHAALLAH...what..an...innovation..i'll...surely...buy...This..one
Posted by PeterKay
Great invention, surely it will be allowed in the UK.
Posted by mipgo
@fanditha
i wouldn't say it's the best religion one can find... it's the best for who thinks it suites best for him! btw its not the religion to blame for but the institutions here on earth... and thats what very many people forget (not only christians but muslims as well)
cheers
Posted by Vlammetje
religion is only as good as the ppl who practise it. the bad publicity for islam is not due to the western media, it's due to violent fools who claim to act in the name of Allah. Press is no more than a very good way to exaggarate any story.
Back to the topic at hand: i think it's a marvellous invention.
Posted by PeterKay
Agree with you there Vlammetje.
[ This Message was edited by: PeterKay on 2004-04-14 13:02 ]
Posted by soichiro
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yea! people please. it started off as a perfectly normal conversation until somebody suddenly post something that sends the thread veering off in a completely different direction. so please......
love peace not war
Posted by joebmc
True, you can not say it’s the best religion (have you practiced them all)?
Also does this mean all other religions are entitled to a phone specific to there religion?
Posted by Vlammetje
yes
Of course you'd need to find a company who will manufacture it... but why not?
Posted by soichiro
it wud certainly be a wicked cool innovation if it ever does come out!
Posted by JJayMobile
Great idea....
I wonder when it is coming to the UK....
Posted by axxxr
Its going through trials and testing phase in some arab countries and should be available after that...No dought JJ u will be selling them!!
Posted by JJayMobile
InshAllah....
@axxxr
I will put you down for 4 then......
Posted by axxxr
yeh cool I'll be waiting for the delivery then JJ!!
Posted by jomni1
Looks like a Samsung. (It was made in Korea anyway as the first post said).
Posted by axxxr
Here's another Islamic Mobile i came across Compass Mobile Phone for Muslims.
LG Electronics (LGE) has created a buzz in the mobile phone industry after developing a device that especially caters to the religious and geographic needs of the huge Middle East Muslim market.
LGE announced that the company has completed the development of a GPRS mobile phone (model: G5300) equipped with a compass and programmed to indicate direction. This cell phone can point towards Mecca (Quiblah), a service that will prove very useful for Muslims. The company has launched the product on the market already.
Muslims perform Salat (prayers) to Allah in their prescribed ritual five times a day - at sunrise, noon, afternoon, sunset, and midnight. They have to face the direction of Kaaba (the House of Allah) in Mecca, but they have difficulty locating the direction in the desert.
By setting the -5300-compass to the north and inputting their location information, Muslims can now easily find the direction of Mecca. With this feature, the handset positions itself as a specialized functional phone in the Middle East market. In particular, it is expected to spur a boom in the region because the compass may be used even where GPS services are unavailable.
In addition to the Arab nations, LGE is set to expand the compass phone market to target the 1.1 billion Muslims all over the world, including those in Asian nations such as Malaysia and Indonesia.
Posted by axxxr
As you you would have noticed in my news article the ilkone i-800 has now been launched more details in my news report:
http://www.esato.com/news/article.php/id=102
Posted by JaymoFish
Wow, what an interesting idea... but I dont really see why phones need to have religous stuff on the initial firmware.
Just set a daily alarm for all your prayer times
.
Posted by axxxr
The Ilkone i-800,has now shipped in the Netherlands, and will soon become available France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Belgium and Bosnia. The phone has been available in Lebanon, Malaysia, Turkey and Indonesia for some time.The Ilkone i800 not only has a built-in compass that points toward Mecca, but also contains a complete electronic copy of the Koran (along with a translation into English and a mini search engine).
Posted by BobaFett
any info how big is the interest and how many were sold?