Only two years after launch, O2 wants to
end its i-mode service in the UK.
In a press release the company says that
users and partners have two years to swap to another
service.
I-mode, which was popular in Japan, was
described as the future of mobile internet. However O2 said that it could not
get enough handsets for i-mode.
It said that the service had proven to be
successful with rich content and high satisfaction amongst users. However, a
limited range of devices has restricted its growth and we don’t see that
changing.
However one of the more likely reasons is
that i-mode's per-bit pricing policy was looking outdated compared to other
mobile data services.