Google, Yahoo Unveil Cell Phone Services - Report

SAN FRANCISCO (AFX) - Yahoo Inc and Google Inc are rolling out new wireless services to provide features similar to computers on mobile phones, the Wall Street Journal reported.

In its online edition the newspaper said Yahoo is introducing a mobile phone with SBC Communications Inc that will link mobile phone services to Yahoo users' accounts, address books and preferences.

SBC executives said the SBC-Yahoo phone, which will be manufactured by Nokia Corp, is expected to be available early next year and will cost 200-300 usd, The Journal said.

Google is tailoring some of its services for use on wireless devices and starting today users of more than 100 types of mobile phones can access Google's map database, the newspaper said.

Last year, Google began allowing US consumers to get search results by sending text messages from mobile phones, the newspaper said, and in June began letting users get search results from an index of Web sites optimized for mobile phones.

Basic Internet services have been available on wireless devices for more than five years, although often with some limitations based on the difference in speeds between wireless and dial-up connections.

Wireless providers have begun to focus on Internet services, which generally cost an extra fee, as revenue growth from the standard mobile phone business has leveled off, the newspaper said.

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