Networking Sites Extend Reach: Handset Makers Ramp Up Ways to Tap Broader Mobile Phone Market

Social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are popular services on high-end cellphones like the iPhone and the BlackBerry. But extending their reach to the broader wireless market has been challenging, because most basic phones tend to have clunky Web browsers and can’t support fancy software.Now, handset makers and wireless carriers are ramping up efforts to tap the mass market.Manufacturers such as INQ Mobile Ltd. and Samsung Electronics Co. are rolling out midrange cellphones tailored to social-networking software, with some features of smart phones but lower prices.
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