Mobile Japan

Lawson to introduce SUICA and Visatouch

2008-12-12T09:19:00.003+09:00

from April 2009 Lawson will introduce JR's Felica based payment system SUICA and Visatouch in all JR East area stores. this covers approximately 3300 convenience stores. Lawson have already been using Edy, iD and QUICPay for some time now, and the NEC reader/writer currently in use will be able to accept the two new systems.

I said it before when they introduced Edy, but this makes me pretty happy as there is a Lawson in my building at work. although I do use Edy, SUICA is my payment method of choice. adding the 3300 stores, Lawson will become the biggest chain of SUICA network so far. in the bigger picture, at the end of November, the total number of shops accepting SUICA (and therefore PASMO/ICOCA) stood at 56,790.

Walkman Phone, Xmini

2008-12-11T22:32:00.004+09:00

au announced a late addition to their winter models earlier this week with a new Sony Ericson Walkman Phone called the Xmini. the mini-sized handset measures 44mm X 75mm X 18mm, weighs 75 grams and fits nicely into the palm of your hand.to make it this small, features that are standard on most Japanese handsets such as 1-seg TV, Felica and even a camera have been left out. instead, they have concentrated on the music with high quality sound, 4GB of internal memory, Bluetooth and the ability to play au's improved format chaku-uta-full which are 320kbps AAC files.personally I will never be interested in any format other than mp3, however it is good to see that Sony have gone for a different and somewhat refreshing angle this time, which was also the opinion of engadget when they covered it here. at the launch event were Koda Kumi whos song 'Stay with me' features in the new LISMO tv commercial and Oguri Shun who will appear in the advert for the Xmini.

mobile phone handset sales down 57%

2008-12-10T21:55:00.006+09:00

keitai news made an appearance in the mainstream media outlets today, with news of just how poor the market for handsets has been lately. the latest figures from JEITA (Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association) show that makers shipped a total of 1,080,000 handsets in October which is down 57.8% on the same month last year.

in fact, it is the lowest number of handsets shipped since records began back in April of 2003. and worse than that, it is less than half than the previous lowest record which was this August. October is usually a quiet month, when the summer models have been out for some time and the winter models are soon on there way. add to this the already saturated market, deteriorating economic situation, and the move away from highly subsidized handsets.

tough times will no doubt continue, however things should pick up a little for the winter models, such as the F-01A from Fujitsu. I always have to give the waterproof Fujitsu models a mention as every time without fail they have some models demonstrating the waterproof feature.

Vertu announces Japanese MVNO

2008-12-02T21:35:00.005+09:00

Nokia's luxury mobile phone brand Vertu is to launch a MVNO on docomo's network in Japan. they will open a flagship store in Tokyo's Ginza district on February 19th 2009 and phones will be available to order from that day.

at the moment it would appear that only 'Signature' and 'Ascent Ti' series will be available, likely to include the Ascent Ti Ferrari. the network will be called 'Vertu Club', however it won't be ready until between April and June, so until then they will sell SIM lock free handsets to anyone who wants them so they could be used for calls only.

the prices of the handsets are really something special! obviously the concept of Vertu is definitely different from the mass market handsets produced by Nokia, but let's hope they do better than their parent company did in Japan.

in related news, docomo will be dropping Nokia's E71. the smart phone was due to be part of docomo's PRO series, however that is no longer the case as docomo yesterday said that they would be dropping the model due to Nokia's recent decision to retreat from the Japanese market with the exception of Vertu. according to one report they only found this out themselves a day after Nokia made the retreat plans official.

W62P by Hatsushiba!?

2008-12-01T21:28:00.004+09:00

one of the more interesting collaborations I've seen recently, au have teamed up with the fictional 'Hatsushiba Denki Sangyou' electric company from the Shima Kousaku manga series for a special edition of Panasonics W62P.Yuko Ogura was on hand at the KDDI Designing Studio to launch the 3000 limited edition handset, which comes only in gold and has manga comics, screen menus and other such contents pre-loaded. it also has Hatsushiba engraved on the upper part of the key pad where you would normally find the Panasonic logo.
the funny thing is that Kenshi Hirokane, the author of the manga series, actually worked for Panasonic back when it was Matsushita Sangyou Denki, before becoming a manga artist.

docomo 2008 Winter - PRO

2008-11-26T21:28:00.003+09:00

so the final series from docomo doesn't need that much of an explanation, apart from clearing up the confusing naming convention. the PRO series are what we would normally refer to as smart phones.HT-01A by HTC - 2.8 inch VGA (480x640) touch panel display, 3.2 megapixel camera (3.1 megapixel in camera), QWERTY keyboard, Office mobile, Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player Mobile, bluetooth. 'Touch Pro', also known as 'E30HT' with au or 'Touch Pro X05HT' with SoftBank.HT-02A by HTC - 2.8 inch VGA (480x640) touch panel display, 3.2 megapixel camera (3.1 megapixel in camera), Office mobile, Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player Mobile, bluetooth. 'Touch Diamond'.SH-04A by Sharp - 3.5 inch full wide VGA (480x854) touch panel display, 5.2 megapixel camera, 1-seg, i-mode and osaifu-keitai (unlike the other 'foreign' smart phones), bluetooth, QWERTY keyboard, Dolby mobile.BlackBerry Bold by RIM - 2.7 inch half VGA (480x320) display, 2 megapixel camera, 1GB internal memory, wireless LAN, bluetooth, BlackBerry OS v4.6, micro SD slot, iTunes compatible, QWERTY keyboard.Nokia E71 by Nokia - 2.4 inch QVGA (320x240) display, 3.2 megapixel camera, wireless LAN, bluetooth, Symbian OS, QWERTY keyboard. also due out with SoftBank.

docomo 2008 Winter - Smart

2008-11-25T20:53:00.002+09:00

aimed at professionals who wish to use their time (and keitai) wisely, but perhaps not ready to make the jump to a real 'smart' phone.... this range continues the concept of the previous u models. all 4 are due out in the new year.F-04A by Fujitsu - 3 inch full wide VGA (480x854) display, 2 megapixel camera, 1-seg, 12.8 mm thin, document viewer, waterproof, blue colour is collaboration with UNITED ARROWS.N-04A by NEC - 3 inch full wide VGA display, 3.2 megapixel camera, 1-seg, collaboration with amadana.P-04A by Panasonic - 3 inch full wide QVGA (240x427) display, 3.2 megapixel camera, 1-seg, 9.8 mm thin.P-05A by Panasonic - 3 inch full wide QVGA (240x427) display, no camera, black only, 1-seg, document viewer, world clock, measurements / currency converter, 9.8 mm thin.

docomo 2008 Winter - Prime

2008-11-18T20:08:00.003+09:00

7 models for the high spec 'PRIME' series. you seem to need a 3 inch or better and preferably VGA and touch panel to go with that. also nothing lower than 5 megapixels for the cameras.

F-01A by Fujitsu - 3.2 inch full wide VGA (480x864) touch panel display, 5.2 megapixel camera, 1-seg, bluetooth, waterproof.F-03A by Fujitsu - 3.2 inch full wide VGA (480x960) touch panel display, 5.2 megapixel camera, 1-seg, bluetooth, slide style body, out between Jan and March 2009.L-01A by LG - 2.8 inch QVGA (240x480) touch panel display, 5.1 megapixel camera, 1-seg, tri-lingual display, slide style body.N-01A by NEC - 3.2 inch full wide VGA (480x854) touch panel display, 5.2 megapixel camera, 1 seg, bluetooth, slide type body with rotation.P-01A by Panasonic - 3.1 inch full wide VGA (480x854) display, 5.1 megapixel camera, 1-seg, bluetooth, document viewer, number keys also change what they display if you hold it horizontally.SH-01A by Sharp - 3.3 inch full wide VGA (480x854) display, 8 megapixel camera, 1-seg, bluetooth, document viewer, cycloid style body.SH-03A by Sharp - 3.0 inch full wide VGA (480x854) display, 8 megapixel camera, 1-seg, bluetooth, document viewer, 2 hinged style body.

docomo 2008 Winter - Style

2008-11-15T19:32:00.002+09:00

6 handsets for the STYLE series, which according to docomo are 'designed like accessories' for 'those who want to project the latest look'.

F-02A by Fujitsu - 3 inch full wide VGA (480x854) display, 2 megapixel camera, 1-seg, waterproof, motion sensor, crystal cut design, girl colours including shiny gold, cosmetic pink and 4 degress C white which is a collaboration with the jewelery brand.

N-02A by NEC - 3.2 inch full wide VGA (480x854) display, 5.2 megapixel camera with stabilization and face recognition, 1-seg, document viewer, bluetooth, keypad illuminations. 12.9 mm thin and one of the higher end specification in the style series.

N-03A by NEC - 3 inch full wide QVGA (240x427) display, 2 megapixel camera, 1-seg, document viewer, collaboration with sweet brand Pierre Herme.

P-02A by Panasonic - 3.1 inch full wide VGA (480x854) display, 5.1 megapixel camera, 1-seg, slide style body, but to overcome the distance to get to the top keys, the display part opens up and out. not due in the shops till January to March.

P-03A by Panasonic - 3 inch full wide QVGA (240x427), 3.2 megapixel camera, 1-seg, 14.7 mm thin, double open style.

SH-02A by Sharp - 3 inch full wide VGA (480x854) display, 5.2 megapixel camera, 1-seg, 8 colour variations.

docomo 2008 Winter Collection

2008-11-15T17:22:00.004+09:00

I am finally ready to embark on covering docomo's winter releases that were announced back on November 5th. due to the shear number of handsets (22!) I will create several posts. however, docomo has made it easy to split up the posts, thanks to the new branding method. gone is the 90xi and 70xi series. instead docomo have positioned their models into the following 4 series:

STYLEemphasis on design, colour variations, illuminations etc. targeted at females in their twenties and thirties. will include brand collaborations.

PRIMEhigh-end, high-spec handsets aimed at teens and twenty-somethings who want the latest functions.

SMARTslightly confusing because smart does not mean smartfone. handsets like the previous u (mu) series that are compact, thin and light with useful functions for the business scene.

PROsmartfones.

you can check out the official docomo english press release here.

the plastic revolution continues

2008-11-15T08:16:00.002+09:00

interesting article yesterday on Japan Today about the use of Felica based payment services. the title of the article, "the plastic revolution continues" points to the fact that many of the services are available on their own IC enabled card, but of course they usually also have a downloadable software application which means you can use you mobile phone instead of filling your wallet up with more plastic.

Japan Today: The plastic revolution continues

3 iPhone 3G announcements

2008-11-04T21:41:00.002+09:00

as well as the details on the winter 2008 collection, last week SoftBank also announced 3 items of good (?) news for iPhone users.
item 1 - 1-seg
yes it is hideously large, and I have no idea why anyone would want to buy this, but SoftBank have developed an external hardware add-on to bring 1-seg to the iPhone. the 1-seg tuner sends the image via Wi-Fi or as shown in the picture above doubles as an external battery. the dimensions are 50mm x 85mm x 16mm and you will have to download a special 1-seg application from the app store. due out in December.
item 2 - free Wi-Fi
SoftBank Mobile will be offering free access to iPhone users via all 'BB Mobile Points' around the country. BB Mobile Points are a public Wi-Fi hotspots offered by fellow SoftBank group company SoftBank Telecom. there is currently rougly 3,500 BB Mobile Points around the country including at McDonalds, Doutour coffee shops JR train stations, and airport lounges. the free of charge will make little difference to the majority of users like me who will max out their data plan, but the increased speeds will be welcome by anyone who can be bothered to complete the necessary set up.item 3 - emoji
yes believe it or not, emoji (pictograms?) is a common complaint for those reluctant to opt for the iPhone. SoftBank have said they are in development and will be ready by the end of the year.

so I don't intend to neglect the regular focus of Japanese handsets, but with the personal news that I myself gave in and purchased an iPhone, may lead to a few more iPhone articles. however, like this article, they will remain centered on iPhone news in the Japanese market and SoftBank world.

SoftBank Winter Collection 2008

2008-11-02T13:13:00.003+09:00

during the week SoftBank announced 12 new models and a new data card to add to the 2 other models already announced and Disney Mobile's DM003SH to complete what will make up a winter collection of 16 models.930SC OMNIA by Samsung - 3.3 inch WVGA (480x800) touch panel display, 5 megapixel camera, 1-seg, bluetooth, 7.2Mbps download compatible, 8GB internal memory, widget software, 58.1mm x 115.2mm x 13mm, 127 grams

AQUOS 931SH by Sharp - 3.8 inch Half XGA (480x1024) touch panel display, slide style body, 5 megapixel camera, 1-seg, bluetooth, mobile widgets, PC email, 52mm x 115mm x 16mm, 130 grams

930SH by Sharp - 3 inch Full WVGA (480x854) display, clam style body, 8 megapixel camera, 1-seg, bluetooth, HSDPA, 48mm x 105mm x 15.2mm, 110 grams

830P by Panasonic - 3 inch full WQVGA (240x427) display, clam style body, 2 megapixel camera, 'one push open button', 49mm x 109mm x 15.4mm, 114 grams

830CA by Casio - 3 inch full WQVGA (240x427) display, clam style body, 5 megapixel camera, 1-seg, first arrival of Casio's trademark penguin characters to SoftBank, 50mm x 106mm x 16.7mm, 105 grams

fanfun.2 830T by Toshiba - 2.8 inch WQVGA (240x400) display, clam style body, 1.96 megapixel camera, 1-seg, bluetooth, customisable illumination panel, 50mm x 103mm x 15mm, 111 grams

fanfun.petit 831T by Toshiba - sister model of the 830T aimed at younger girls. drops the 1-seg, bluetooth, Felica, inwards camera, PC site browser. In exchange adds a child saftey functions and a buzzer alarm

Touch Diamond X04HT by HTC - 2.8 inch VGA (480x640) touch panel display, 3 megapixel camera, Office Mobile, IE/Opera full browser, YouTube application, 51mm x 102mm x 11.35mm, 110 grams

Touch Pro X05HT by HTC - 2.8 inch VGA (480x640) touch panel display, horizontal slide QWERTY keyboard stlye body, 3 megapixel camera, Office Mobile, IE/Opera full browser, YouTube application, 51mm x 102mm x 18.05mm, 165 grams

Nokia E71 by Nokia - 2.36 inch QVGA (240x320) display, 3.2 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, PC email, QuickOffice, Adobe Reader, FM radio, YouTube application, 57mm x 114mm x 10mm, 127 grams

Nokia N82 by Nokia - 2.4 inch QVGA (240x320) display, 5 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, PC email, FM radio, YouTube application, 50mm x 112mm x 17mm, 114 grams

730SC by Samsung (not pictured above) - 2 inch QVGA (240x320) display, 1.3 megapixel camera, prepaid exclusive, menu display in Japanese, English, Korean, Chinese, Portugese, text input in Japanese, English and Korean (Korean limited to SMS, address book and memo pad), 44.6mm x 107.9mm x 14.7mm, 95.9 grams

C01SW by Sierra Wireless (not pictured above) - USB stick type data card compatible with 7.2Mbps HSDPA downloads. global roaming in 126 countries, integrated microSD card slot.

au 2008 autumn and winter collection

2008-10-28T20:17:00.004+09:00

yesterday au announced 7 new models and 1 data card to make up their 2008 autumn and winter collection. probably the most attention grabbing was Casio's EXILIM keitai W63CA which sports a 8.1 megapixel camera.
as usual, from left to right, top to bottom:

Wooo keitai W63H by Hitachi - 3.1 inch WVGA OEL display, double hinged body, 5 megapixel camera, 1-seg, PC document viewer, bluetooth. 50mm x 110mm x 17.4mm (thickest part is a rather chunkier 20.1mm). 123 grams.

EXILIM keitai W63CA from Casio - 3.1 inch WVGA OEL display, double hinged body, 8 megapixel camera (face recognition, ISO1600, 28mm lens, 'direct to YouTube' application), 1-seg, bluetooth. 50mm x 110mm x 17.4mm (same dimensions as the Wooo keitai). 124 grams.

AQUOS keitai W64SH by Sharp - 3.5 inch full WVGA, full slide body, 5.2 megapixel camera, 1-seg, FM transmitter, bluetooth, motion sensor, stereo speaker. 53mm x 116mm x 16.5mm. 144 grams.

W65T from Toshiba - 2.8 inch WQVGA OEL display, slide body, 3 megapixel camera, 1-seg, motion sensor, bluetooth, electronic dictionary, 'speedy controller' center key. 50mm x 115mm x 17.3mm. 126 grams.

W65K by Kyocera - 2.7 inch WQVGA, regular flip (clam) body, 2 megapixel camera, 1-seg, waterproof. 50mm x 106mm x 15.8mm. 116 grams.

W64S from Sony Ericsson - 2.7 inch WQVGA, double hinged body, 3 megapixel camera, 1-seg, GSM roaming. 50mm x 106mm x 14.9mm. 120 grams.

W62P by Panasonic - 2.9 inch WQVGA, flip style body, 2 megapixel camera, 1-seg. 50mm x 108mm x 12.9mm. 107 grams.
the W06K data card from Kyocera is the first ExpressCard 34 type with au and is compatible with EV-DO Rev.A and download speeds of 3.1 Mbps. interestingly it also seems to be the first au data card to also be Mac OS compatible.as I mentioned in a previous post, au have enlisted the help of Miss Universe Japan from the last three years, and will be offering special contents in collaboration with the organization.
engadget focused on the W63CA in this article.

SoftBank and docomo announcements upcoming

2008-10-26T19:05:00.002+09:00

following the notification of au's autumn/winter model launch, docomo and SoftBank have also released details of their announcements. all three dates are as follows:

au - October 27
SoftBank - October 30
docomo - November 5

SoftBank published a online countdown to the press conference, which as you can above is just over 90 hours away. on the same countdown page, they have embedded the recent tv adds for the iPhone. last weeks sales figures showed that the iPhone was overtaken by 'kabu keitai 920SH YK', the handset based on Sharps 920SH which has a dedicated button to a share trading menu. apparently the handset saw great reductions in price to move on some of the stock of the handset.

SoftBank' countdown site can be accessed here:

http://mb.softbank.jp/mb/special/08winter/live/countdown.html

au announcement on 27th October

2008-10-20T21:38:00.002+09:00

au have put up a web page featuring not just one but the three most recent Miss Universe Japan notifying that there will be an announcement coming up on the 27th of October.

the site, which links to the three girl's blogs is no doubt referring to the announcement of au's autumn/winter models which feel as if they have been ages in coming.

you can check out the site here.

Calls from mobiles exceed those from fixed lines

2008-10-19T14:25:00.002+09:00

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications announced earlier this month that the number of hours of calls made from mobile phones exceeded those from fixed line phones for the first time in fiscal year 2007. In this case 'fixed line phones' means the traditional phoneline and does not include the fast growing area of IP telephones.

Reasons suggested by the ministry include the introduction of free SoftBank to SoftBank calls and also the reductions in call rates seen from the other carriers. Phonecalls from mobile phones saw an increase of 6.2%, however overall talk time (mobile, fixed and IP) was down 2.1% from the previous year, perhaps due to the increase of e-mail use and other newer communication methods.

I posted way back in January when mobile contracts topped 100 million earlier this year. In contrast fixed line contracts were down 7.1% this year to just over 51 million.

weekly rankings - iPhone 3G struggling?

2008-09-07T12:52:00.004+09:00

the latest weekly sales rankings are out and the iPhone has disappeared from the overall top ten list for the first time. just under two months has passed since the iPhone went on sale amongst much hype which saw it rank in at number one on the overall list. the 16GB iPhone is still top of the SoftBank ranking, however the 8GB model has even dropped out of SoftBank's top 10 for the first time.

Rank (last week)	Model
1 (1)	P906i (docomo)
2 (2)	N906iu (docomo)
3 (3)	SH906i (docomo)
4 (4)	W62SH (au)
5 (11)	W61T (au)
6 (6)	N706i (docomo)
7 (5)	W61CA (au)
8 (8)	P706iu (docomo)
9 (9)	W61P (au)
10 (7)	AQUOS keitai W61SH (au)

one month after its release SoftBank slashed the price of the data plan which comes with the iPhone. but perhaps that was not enough to make a difference to the Japanese consumers who were more worried about things like the convenience of Japanese language input and see the iPhone as lacking many of the functions (infra-red, 1-seg TV, osaifu-keitai) they have come to expect from a keitai.

these concerns could be the reason behind the recent survey that found that 70% of iPhone 3G users bought the iPhone as a 'second phone'. it will be interesting to one day see detailed figures for the iPhone 3G sales in Japan, but for the momemt it would appear that the 'one-size-fits-all' iPhone 3G may not be the runaway success in Japan as it is in other western countries.

WiMAX in Japan update

2008-08-17T11:33:00.003+09:00

in this post I will attempt to summarise my limited knowledge on the current situation for WiMAX in Japan. so far I have touched on WiMAX twice:

2007/10 - applications for 2.5GhZ spectrum licenses
2007/12 - granting of licenses to KDDI and Wilcom

so what has KDDI and Willcom been up to in the last 8 months and what are their plans for WiMAX roll out?

UQ Communications

2008/3 - the KDDI led coalition changes its name from 'Wireless Broadband Planning' to UQ Communications, and carries through with initial investment commitments from KDDI, Intel Capital, JR East, Kyocera, Daiwa Securities and Mitsubishi Tokyo UFJ Bank.
2008/3~7 - holds information sessions for possible interested MVNOs
2009/2/28 - will start trial of WiMAX in Tokyo, Kawasaki and Yokohama areas.
2009/summer - extends service to 3 metropolises - Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka.
2012 - start national coverage

Willcom

2008/5 - announces plans for 'next generation PHS' service named WILLCOM CORE which will allow steady transfer speeds of up to 100Mbps even with mobility of over 300km/h (can be used on the Shinkansen). like LTE, 'next generation PHS' is broadly similar to WiMAX but of course has several major technical differences.
2009/spring - plans to start the service in Tokyo area, with roll out to the 3 metropolises by autumn.

Wireless Japan 2008

Kyocera display handsets and base equipment mockups of next generation PHS, WiMAX and iBurst.
Fujitsu display WiMAX capable data cards as well as the competing LTE (Super 3G) technology developed with docomo.
UQ Communications president Tanaka-san appeals with vision and benefits of WiMAX. rather than UQ branded data cards, terminals, etc. UQ will leave that up to the makers and MVNOs. there is plans to have WiMAX equipped PCs by summer 2009 (no doubt with a little help from Intel).
au booth displays some WiMAX MID prototypes along side WiMAX handsets and UMPCs currently being used abroad.
NEC also participate in the WiMAX Forum Pavillion at the event, displaying Indoor Units, Outdoor Units and promotional videos of their WiMAX trials in Taiwan.

so as you can see WiMAX in Japan is still half a year from the start of trial services, but it certainly promises to kickstart the the mobile broadband revolution.

iPhone launch news roundup

2008-07-14T22:31:00.003+09:00

it would have been pretty hard for anyone in town not to notice that last Friday saw the long awaited launch of Apple's 3G version of the iPhone in Japan. my favourite keitai news sites were totally devoted to the launch, with barely an article about anything else.

one recurring theme, even in the mainstream media (Nihon Keisai Shinbum) was the comparison of the iPhone to Commodore Perry's Black Ships that opened Japan to the outside world. I have high hopes that the iPhone and more importantly the model surrounding the App Store are going to shake up the local keitai market.it shouldn't be a surprise that the iPhone effectively sold out on the first day. the flagship SoftBank store in Omotesando opened at 7am, with other stores and electrical retailers starting the sale of iPhones from midday. I popped along to BIC Camera's HQ in Yurakucho around 1pm and there was plenty of exitement, with queues around the building and TV cameras reporting on the action. but unfortunately Ueto Aya was already nowhere to be seen!

one internet article had went along asking the people in line what phone they had currently been using and they were spread evenly amongst SoftBank, docomo and au, so I think the iPhone is definitely a good thing for SoftBank right now, and the longer they remain the sole network with iPhone the better.on the comical side of things, one article touched on the sole reason why I will not be buying an iPhone anytime soon, and that is of course the lack of mobile wallet (osaifu-keitai) functions. they looked into whether you could get similar functionality by strapping a IC enabled credit card to the back of your iPhone. personally though, for now I think I will settle for carrying around two devices. a nice Japanese keitai and iPod Touch.

F706i by the poolside

2008-06-24T21:38:00.004+09:00

i think they did it last time around too, but Fujitsu once again appealed to the waterproof capabilities of the F706i which went on sale last weekend. it is Fujitsu's 5th waterproof handset, and now allows you to catch some 1-seg TV by the pool.Fujitsu management remarked that at first they used to market the fact that it was waterproof, but now a phone being waterproof is no longer all that special, so they now emphasize other functions like the 1-seg, the double-hinge style or the slim(ish) 16.9mm.

iPhone data plans and pricing announced

2008-06-23T20:58:00.003+09:00

SoftBank today announced the pricing options for the iPhone due out in a few weeks time. there will be a completely new plan called 'white plan i' which will cost 980 yen per month, allowing free SoftBank to SoftBank calls from 1am to 9pm, and a new 'i e-mail' address.

asides from this they also announced a new data plan called 'packet flat-rate full' which offers unlimited data for 5,985 yen a month. this data plan is required when buying an iPhone as is the original 'S! basic pack' which adds another 315 yen a month.

considering that I put up with paying 5,700 yen a month for unlimited data on a regular 'non-smart' phone, I think this new data plan from SoftBank is very competitive. there are off course other optional plans, that include an extended answering machine function, the ability to take other calls when already on the line, and group calls.

iPhone minimum monthly running cost:
white plan (i) basic fee	980 yen
packet flat-rate full fee	5,985 yen
S! basic pack fee	315 yen
Total: 7,280 yen

as for the cost of the iPhone itself, you should be able to purchase it from any stores stocking SoftBank phones, with the pricing at official SoftBank stores when purchased on the 'super bonus (24 installments method) will be 23,040 yen (24 X 960 yen) for the 8GB model and 34,560 yen (24 X 1,440 yen) for the 16GB model.

the small print at the end of the press release states that the iPhone can not use S! e-mail, the iPhone is excluded from SoftBank's generous student discounts, the SIM card is exclusive to the iPhone and can will not work in other handsets. you can check out the official (Japanese) press release here.

docomo hasn't given up on iPhone

2008-06-22T17:10:00.005+09:00

NTT docomo held their general shareholders meeting last Friday and during the Question and Answer session said that they would like to continue considering the possibility of selling the iPhone. this comes after they washed their hands of it in the wake of the SoftBank announcement a just a few weeks back.clues as to why the negotiations failed were limited due to the secrecy agreements with Apple, but commenting on the popularity of the touch screen panel, management said that they had already filled this niche by introducing LG's PRADA phone and also the recent SH906i. they also hinted that they may have another card up their sleeves with the possible introduction of Blackberry handsets for the general public. (up until now they have only been available to corporate customers.)
the meeting also marked the official end to the Masao Nakamura's (above) role as president. he has now been replaced by Ryuji Yamada (below).

Sportio X Kuroki Meisa = Like This?

2008-06-22T15:28:00.005+09:00

a few posts back I wrote about the launch of the compact sports keitai 'Sportio'. well this weekend, so the start of the TV commercials and other promotional activities, using the Okinawan model/actress/soon-to-be singer Meisa Kuroki. a one-off 45 second version of the tv commercial aired last night, and it was billed as a 'double debut' as it also promotes Kuroki's debut single - 'Like This'.it is interesting to see that she turned up to the publicity event in a tiny one-piece and knee high boots! but in the same way that Kuroki didn't turn up to promote the 'Sportio' in anything resembling sports wear, I doubt that regular Japanese females will want to be carrying around a brightly coloured 'sports phone', when all dressed up to leave the house.having recently started meeting friends for jogging at the park, I can appreciate the unease caused by leaving your phone at home, but even I wouldn't consider the Sportio, especially considering the lack of support for mp3s. I also worry that the small keys may also be a turn-off for many Japanese that spend a lot of time emailing from their mobile phones. I suppose we will have to wait and see....

HT1100 Event at Tokyo Midtown

2008-06-17T20:56:00.002+09:00

Microsoft, docomo and HTC held a joint event at Tokyo Midtown at the weekend to mark the release of the Windows Mobile smartfone from HTC on docomo's network. there was a 'touch and try' corner, demonstrations, and last but not least, a 'show' explaining the phone's features through dance!!the 3G/GSM touch panel display phone, compatible with FOMA high-speed (HSDPA) comes with mobile versions of all the usual Windows applications, an FM radio and bluetooth. it can also play streaming media such as YouTube Mobile. however, like with the upcoming iPhone, users that opt for this 'foreign' smartfone will have to do without i-mode, mobile wallet (osaifu-keitai) and docomo's 2 in 1 double number services.