Cingular Wireless is introducing a service for nonbusiness users to get BlackBerry-like mobile access to their personal e-mail accounts from AOL, Yahoo and MSN Hotmail on a cell phone.
The new service, powered by OZ Communications Inc., is designed to adapt the look and capabilities of a Web portal or e-mail program such as Outlook to the limited screen size, keyboard and processing power of a garden variety handset.
The Java-based e-mail application initially will be available to download on existing phones starting Monday with 5 models from Motorola Inc. and one from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. It also is being pre-installed on new phones, though not immediately through all Cingular sales channels.
There’s no monthly charge for Cingular Mobile Email, but users will need to subscribe to one of the company’s wireless Internet plans with a monthly allotment of data usage. Jim Ryan, a Cingular vice president, said a $5 monthly data plan should provide sufficient capacity to check one’s e-mail a few times daily.