KDDI in PR Blitz

KDDI has just announced a few tasty tidbits: the new W43S handset by Sony Ericsson is ready to roll as of Friday, 15 September, and they will have some interesting new BREW titles (including mobile multiplayers) on display at next week’s Tokyo Game Show. As an apparent counter measure to the free iPod Nano ‘bribe’ just announced by SoftBank Mobile, KDDI has also introduced the new “Large Satisfaction Campaign,” which will offer a variety of prizes for new users.. whew!

Details on the W43S handset are here [in Japanese].

Basically, it’s a CDMA1x unit with most bells & whistles: 2.7-inch SVGA screen with the high-resolution “RealityMAX” engine that touts improved contrast (also installed in the “BRAVIA” LCD TV by Sony). The unit also has SE’s signature external custom face-plate options, improved with embedded mini-LEDs which provide a ‘disco-type’ visual ring tone. It also has the FeliCa m-commerce chip and the full carrier suite of EZ services available as well.

The new BREW game list is rather extensive and we look forward to seeing them in action next week. Little doubt that the combination of flat-rate data with great CDMA1x network speed is going to enable a fairly significant ramp-up of usage in this area in the future, as we detailed here in June.

Finally, the carriers really are starting to show some love now in the face of pending customer churn with mobile number portablility looming (now just over a month away); the pre-registration process is already in full motion. The so-called Large Satisfaction Campaign includes a grand prize of 5 packages (for 2 people) to fly first class to the U.S. west coast and stay at a 5-star hotel, complete with limo services and all-inclusive tour arrangements (plus $1,000 in spending cash, of course). Otherwise, they will also be giving away hundreds of smaller prizes that range from home electronics to JCB cash gift certificates. As they say.. “Bring it On!”