The UK operator is preparing a Christmas marketing campaign based around the merits of camera-enabled phones. In Japan, camera phones have igniting a massive demand for 2.5G services from operators J-Phone and KDDI.

Japanese handset makers are focusing on overseas markets as their domestic market is becoming saturated. Sharp is planning to ship 500,000 handsets this autumn, the same season in which Vodafone is stated to offer its camera-enabled phone services.