Photo Messaging Climbs as Cameraphones Snap Up Market Share

SEATTLE, WA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- August 07, 2006 -- Cameraphone ownership and usage is climbing across the U.S. and Europe, reports M:Metrics, the mobile market authority. With summer vacations in full swing in America, photo messaging has increased 32 percent since February, while in Europe, it has increased 20 percent in France and 16 percent in the United Kingdom, while remaining steady in Germany, where 19 percent of mobile phone subscribers used photo messaging in June.

"At 50.7 percent, the number of mobile subscribers in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States owning cameraphones has grown 22 percent since February of this year," said Mark Donovan, vice president and senior analyst, M:Metrics. "We also see a direct correlation between camera resolution and propensity to use photo messaging, as 44.3 percent of subscribers who own phones with cameras with resolutions exceeding one megapixel sent a photo over the network, versus a global average of 30.5 percent."

Photo Messaging Conversion Rate for Camera Phone Owners Quarter Ended June 2006 Global Camera Weighted Resolution US UK Germany France Average ----- ----- ------- ------ -------- 1 + Megapixel 41.5% 51.8% 38.1% 44.0% 44.3% VGA (640x480) 30.1% 28.0% 18.7% 22.8% 20.6% Less than VGA 23.9% 22.3% 18.0% 21.4% 26.7% Grand Total 31.8% 36.5% 24.2% 27.3% 30.5%

The RAZR is the popular cameraphone in the United Kingdom and the United States, while the Nokia 6230 tops the German market and the Sagem my X-5 is the cameraphone of choice among the French. However, in terms of conversion rate, meaning those who use their cameraphones to generate revenue for their operator by sending a photo on the network, the top devices are the Nokia 6630 in France, the Nokia 6280 in Germany, the Nokia 6111 in the United Kingdom and the Danger Sidekick II in the United States.

M:Metrics applies trusted media measurement methodologies to assess the audience for mobile content and applications. As the world's most authoritative mobile market measurement firm, M:Metrics delivers the most accurate mobile market metrics through the largest monthly survey of mobile subscribers in the U.S., U.K., Germany and France, as well as automated data collection methodologies. Below are the findings of its June Benchmark Survey.

French Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: June 2006 Subscribers Activity (1000s) Percent % Change -------- ----------- ------- -------- Sent Text Message 29,392 69.20% 0.10% Used Photo Messaging 8,048 18.90% 1.60% Browsed News and Information 3,576 8.40% 7.70% Used Personal E-Mail 2,568 6.00% 0.80% Purchased Ringtone 2,547 6.00% -7.30% Used Mobile Instant Messenger 1,262 3.00% 1.70% Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver 1,192 2.80% -9.20% Used Work E-Mail 875 2.10% 2.10% Downloaded Mobile Game 506 1.20% 1.40%

Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of French mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 30 June, 2006, n= 12,525

German Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: June 2006 Subscribers Activity (1000s) Percent % Change -------- ----------- ------- -------- Sent Text Message 35,547 79.9% -0.2% Used Photo Messaging 8,637 19.4% -0.7% Purchased Ringtone 2,873 6.5% -4.5% Used Personal E-Mail 2,763 6.2% 1.7% Browsed News and Information 1,780 4.0% 1.0% Used Mobile Instant Messenger 1,575 3.5% 1.8% Used Work E-Mail 1,437 3.2% 2.7% Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver 1,235 2.8% -4.2% Downloaded Mobile Game 1,113 2.5% 3.2%

Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of German mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 30 June, 2006, n= 15,088

U.K. Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: June 2006 Subscribers Activity (1000s) Percent % Change -------- ----------- ------- -------- Sent Text Message 36,415 84.7% 0.2% Used Photo Messaging 12,756 29.7% -1.0% Browsed News and Information 6,433 15.0% 0.9% Used Personal E-Mail 2,847 6.6% -1.5% Purchased Ringtone 2,445 5.7% -4.6% Downloaded Mobile Game 1,863 4.3% -4.6% Used Mobile Instant Messenger 1,742 4.1% -0.7% Used Work E-Mail 1,374 3.2% 2.7% Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver 966 2.2% -2.9%

Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of U.K. mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 30 June, 2006, n= 15,087

U.S. Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: June 2006 Subscribers Activity (1000s) Percent % Change -------- ----------- ------- -------- Sent Text Message 70,186 36.9% 1.6% Used Photo Messaging 24,312 12.8% 7.4% Browsed News and Information 19,514 10.3% 2.5% Purchased Ringtone 19,084 10.0% 1.3% Used Personal E-Mail 14,518 7.6% 5.0% Used Mobile Instant Messenger 12,692 6.7% 3.9% Used Work E-Mail 8,497 4.5% 6.4% Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver 6,492 3.4% -1.8% Downloaded Mobile Game 4,995 2.6% 3.2%

Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2006. Survey of U.S. mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 30 June, 2006, n= 33,287

About M:Metrics

M:Metrics is the mobile market measurement authority. As the only research firm to measure the audience for mobile media, M:Metrics provides the most accurate metrics on actual mobile content consumption by applying trusted media measurement methodologies to the mobile market. M:Metrics' monthly syndicated data service gives clients the critical insights and intelligence required to inform smart business strategies and the competitive benchmarks needed to evaluate the performance of competitors and partners. M:Metrics is a private, venture-funded corporation headquartered in Seattle, with offices in San Francisco and London.

About M:Metrics Data

Based on continually refreshed samples of nationally representative mobile phone consumers, M:Metrics reports summarise market size, device reach, and key demographic and mobile phone usage characteristics.

The data presented here is drawn from an extensive survey questionnaire that collects specific device model and carrier subscription information from each month's sample of mobile phone subscribers, and also drills down into specific details related to current and past usage of various mobile phone applications and content. Data collected from each sample are statistically balanced and projected to the total national population of mobile phone subscribers.

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SOURCE: M:Metrics