Vodafone wants you to picture this

Vodafone has become the second UK operator to launch itself into what many providers see as the future of mobile communications.

Hot on the heels of Orange's smartphone alliance with Microsoft, Vodafone has unveiled its own service which makes use of 2.5G technologies.

Dubbed Vodafone Live! the service is not quite as all encompassing as Orange's, which is skewed towards corporate users, but should offer enough to whet the appetite of its target audience of teens to mid-twenties consumers.

Vodafone Live! will be launched on a new handset developed by Sharp, as well as on the Nokia 7650 and, in a couple of weeks, a new Panasonic handset.

All these devices boast large colour LCD screens and in-built cameras to make it possible to take, send and receive picture messages.

Unlike Orange, Vodafone's GPRS service is not offered for a one-off low monthly payment, but it is cheaper to send a single picture: 36p for Vodafone customers as opposed to 40p for Orange.

Users will also be able to download emails, games, ring tones and firmware upgrades straight to the phone.

Prices will start at around £199 for the Sharp handset with a contract, although all the devices will be available with pre-pay options as well.