The brand name which will be used by AT&T Wireless in 2002 as they unveil the US version of NTT DoCoMo's popular i-mode service. Since true 3G networks are still many years away from being mature, AT&T Wireless expects to include the "2.5G" i-mode service as part of their ongoing mlife promotion.
Features of i-mode/m-mode include very sophisticated phones with the ability to do e-mail, web browsing, and various games over the Internet. In Japan, i-mode has become so popular that it has largely displaced the PC as the medium of choice for Internet access; of course, the US has long since settled on landline access. Furthermore, a phone capable of these features will cost several hundred dollars US. Most American consumers have been loathe to upgrade to the latest and greatest at their own expense.
Also known as mMode. More information is available at http://www.attws.com/mmode/.