Mobile service Helio on Wednesday launched a full-featured version of YouTube for cell phones, boosting its dumbed-down access that was similar to what's available on most phones.
Helio, which also has mobile access to MySpace and Facebook, said its customers will now be able to log in and use popular YouTube features similar to the PC version such as access to personal videos and the ability to rate, browse, upload, and share videos from cell phones.
Bandwidth constraints have forced mobile web sites to trim PC-based features or else run the risk of slow service. And YouTube's mobile site has had to do quite a bit of trimming.
Los Angeles-based Helio, a youth-oriented mobile service, said users of its Helio Ocean, a dual-slider phone with a high-resolution screen, can do just about everything YouTube users can do on a PC.
Helio is jointly owned by South Korean carrier SK Telecom and EarthLink. The company is what's known as a mobile virtual network operator, one that resells mobile services to specialty customers.
But Google has been pushing for the major U.S. carriers to open their networks to independent developers and device makers, going so far as to enter next year's U.S. auction of 700 MHz spectrum.
"When Google comes to market it will revolutionize the whole industry, and companies that focus on high-end phones such as Apple and Helio will have to change their business models starting next year," said Alex Besen, president of the Besen Group.
Google hopes to open the mobile market to inexpensive cell phones and applications that are likely to be free, and that could spell trouble for MVNOs like Helio.
Helio's service, which it resells from Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless, is priced between $60 and $135 per month and its specialty high-end phones are priced between $265 and $415.