Mobile phone operator O2 Ireland will launch a new multimedia messaging service later this month enabling users to send photographs, sound clips and cartoons to mobile phones or to people's e-mail, the firm said yesterday.

The company, which supplies mobile services to almost one million people in the Republic, also announced that it expected to report figures in line with expectations for the first half.

O2, which forms part of the MmO2 network spanning five European states, will also launch the new media messaging in the Netherlands, Britain and Germany.

The service, which has proved a major hit in the Japanese market and is forecast to be a big seller in the run up to Christmas, will offer sound clips covering sport, news and entertainment and other types of picture text messaging.

An O2 Ireland spokeswoman said the new service would be available here in a couple of weeks and the firm was targeting the Christmas market for sales. O2 would also launch a new Sharp camera phone shortly, she added.

The Republic is the only market for which accurate pricing is not yet available for O2's new service. But a spokeswoman said it would be in line with British prices which are €0.63 per picture message.

Subscribers will also be able to sign up for bolt on packages offering cheaper bulk messaging.

O2's messaging service will allow customers to manipulate pictures with their mobile phones and use a number of extra services on the firm's mobile portal such as adding speech bubbles or changing friends into cartoons. In addition, customers will be able to upload images to their personal "photo album".

O2 said its research showed that the new service would appeal to a broad audience but especially younger consumers between the ages of 18 and 30, who currently use text messaging services.

Handsets to support picture messaging will not be cheap. The current price of the Nokia 7650 in Britain ranges from €240 for a contract phone to €700 for pre-pay.