GearBits

Siemens Launches Home MMS Phone Service

Siemens Mobile has just launched the first home phone with fixed-line multimedia messaging service (MMS).

The Siemens Gigaset SL740/SLX740isdn combines a high-res color display and integrated digital camera in a cordless phone. MMS capability allows photo capture and sharing from the home, and includes a 640-character SMS feature for captioning or straight communication.

The Gigaset borrows a few other tricks from mobile phones. It allows personalization of the digital phone book with snapshots, and allows different polyphonic ringer melodies assigned to specific phonebook entries.

Ringtones, logos and pictures to personalize the phone are downloadable from the Gigaset website.

The Gigaset also features synchronizability of its address book with Microsoft Outlook, and a calendar function that store dates and reminders, such as birthdays and anniversaries, next to phonebook entries.