Opera has posted it’s Q1 2008 mobile browser report indicating the top 10 sites visited from the top 10 countries, ranked by usage. The findings published show that social networking, search and major content portals are the most popular across all regions, no surprise, however the absense of results from Japan should certainly raise some eyebrows?
So the dawn of a 3G iPhone approaches on June 9th as Steve Jobs is widely expected to finally unveil the company’s next-generation mobile computing device. While there has been a predictable amount of speculation including certain parties jumping the gun – Oops – about the telco for Japan, we have an interesting theory. This is an update (with a twist) to our original scoop last November, as it does build on that earlier approach. Update 4 June: It’s Official..!!!
The PRADA Phone by LG will be available in DoCoMo shops, under the model number L852i, according to this official press release [.pdf]. The companies held a splashy launch event, with senior management in attendance, for assorted VIP guests and the media at the über modern Prada building in downtown Tokyo and Wireless Watch Japan was there, shooting video, of course!
Touting a 3-inch touch-screen and HSDPA 7.2mbs data speed connection with 2 megapixel camera featuring Schneider-Kreuznach lens, video player and document viewer capacity, the luxury brand design handset that has reportedly sold just under 1 million units in 40 countries worldwide will finally be on sale here in June. Full specs after the jump.
A quick update from the eastern front as Japan gets back to work here after our annual Golden Week (spring vaction) break. As usual this time of year is a slow news cycle – combined with great weather outdoors – so we got a bit of fresh air and had some unusual free surf time. Hence this super clip from utube of the new Sumsing Turbo 3000 Xi model which seems to have a few ‘interesting’ options not yet available. We also tinkered with the MoMo.jp website so that it now “auto-renders” (hopefully) an improved custom mobile friendly version, give it a try from both your PC & handset. Little doubt that same style update is long overdue here on the Wireless Watch Japan site too. As usual, your valuable feedback is always most welcome.. Ganbarimasho!
NTT DoCoMo’s 2007 fiscal year ended on March 31st and the company has posted their earnings release (.pdf) Here. Operating revenues were off 1.6% YoY while operating income of 808.3 billion jpy, or approx. $8B usd, was up 4.5% with the net income growing by 7.4% to 491 billion jpy. Operating revenues, operating income, income before taxes and net income for fiscal 2008 were estimated to increase 1.2%, 2.7%, 4.3% and 2.4% respectively. See the details from KDDI and SoftBank Mobile – as available – after the jump.
Takeshi Natsuno, famed father of the i-mode platform is set to step down, according to reports in the Japanese media. “He is going to be leaving the company at the end of April,” an informed source in DoCoMo told AFP. The writing was on the wall when he was not front and center – as usual – hosting the 905i-series launch here last November. “Marking another notable difference from previous line-up introductions was the absence of Natsuno-san, famed ‘father of i-mode’ and always energetic MC, from the stage” WWJ reported at the time.
Mobile Healthcare has been selected as a winner of the Red Herring 100 Global Award. This list of the best 100 privately held companies in the world recognizes those that play a leading role in technology innovation around the globe. The company has been getting a lot of attention for it’s LifeWatcher application and we are pleased to note that WWJ spotted the significance of this story – video interview here – way back in 2003. Congrats!
We’re thrilled to announce the next MoMo Tokyo event, 22 October at the fabulous Designing Studio, will feature presentations from Dr. Hitomi Murakami, former executive director and principal research engineer at KDDI’s R&D labs, and Tomi Ahonen, best-selling author and strategy consultant for digital convergence and advanced mobile telecoms. Both gentlemen are long-time industry insiders and the evening promises to be extremely informative and very well-attended.
Obviously it’s been rather quiet on the mobile tech news front here this week. While WWJ could blame that on taking a little R&R at the beach, but the truth is we have been very hard at work to finish our Japan Mobile research report. However, we decided to put together a few quick tidbits that caught our eye this week, after the jump.
It seems like only yesterday that polyphonic ringtones were all the rage in Japan, with mobile content companies frantically hustling to create MIDI-like files for all the popular songs in first 4-voice polyphony in 2000, followed by 16-poly in 2001 and 40-poly in 2002. Although many in the mobile industry thought the ringtone market here had peaked by that time, it somehow managed to keep growing for another three years. In fact, it has really only been in the past seven months or so that we’re finally seeing the major shakeout here that was expected several years ago.
