Java will allow DoCoMo's i-mode system, which had 14 million users at the end of October, to offer more advanced content such as interactive games and news, while improving the security of information exchanged through the handset's Net connection.
"They (Java-enabled mobile phones) will most likely be sold from the beginning of next year," Norioki Morinaga, DoCoMo senior vice president and chief of research and development, was quoted as saying by ZDNet Japan, a technology news service.

A spokeswoman from the top wireless carrier did not confirm Morinaga's comments, but said there was no change in plans to introduce the new handsets sometime during the winter of 2000/2001.

DoCoMo, riding high on the runaway success of its i-mode system that lets users browse the Net on business-card sized screens, is planning to introduce cell phones equipped with Sun Microsystems Inc's Java technology as the next step in the evolution of its cutting-edge wireless Internet business.

Many in the industry had expected a December launch of the Java i-mode handsets, which will be called the '503i' series.

Citing the difficulty in increasing memory capacity in the new handsets at an affordable cost, engineers say initial models are likely to offer basic Java capability and that better content delivery and sophisticated games could still be far off.

Reflecting these initial limitations, Morinaga was quoted as saying the first Java cell phones were likely to focus on beefing up security in business-to-business transactions, rather than offering games and other enriched content.

DoCoMo shares ended 1.99 percent lower at 2.95 million yen on Thursday, relinquishing some of the previous day's gains scored after it reported record profits for the April-September period, boosted by strong growth in i-mode subscriptions.

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