NTT DoCoMo to Market SH506iC i-mode Smart-Card Handset
NTT DoCoMo, Inc. and its eight regional subsidiaries announced today that they will market the mova SH506iC [.jpg image], the second smart-card handset that is compatible with i-mode FeliCa service for mobile wallet applications. Sales will begin on July 16, 2004. DoCoMo’s revolutionary new service and smart-card handsets may be used for a variety of unprecedented functions that were previously possible only with IC-equipped cards, including train travel, debit card (electronic money) and credit card-based withdrawals and transactions, and personal identification.
Smart-card handsets users will be able to enjoy these i-mode FeliCa services, which are currently provided by ten companies, at locations such as airports, cinemas and convenience stores.
The SH506iC features a two-axis “Rotatable LCD Style” design. Its side keys enable users to make calls, send and receive e-mails, and utilize i-mode even when the phone is closed. In addition, the side keys may be programmed for frequently used functions, and the handset’s icons and display background may also be customized for personal use.
The new handset is equipped with an auto focus camera with 2.02 mega-pixel effective resolution. It also comes with a built-in document viewer that enables viewing of Microsoft® Word, Microsoft® Excel, Microsoft® PowerPoint®, PDF and other types of files saved from a PC to a miniSD™ Memory Card. In addition, users may view e-dictionaries and e-books that have been downloaded from a PC and saved onto the memory card.
The SH506iC will go on sale at all DoCoMo sales channels. The price of the handset will be open (unfixed), and the battery pack will cost 2,100 yen. The standard accessory pack includes a 16MB miniSD Memory Card and an adapter. An optional AC adaptor will cost 2,205 yen, and a desktop holder will cost 630 yen. These prices (all of which include tax) are for the Kanto-Koshinetsu area, and may be changed in other locations by DoCoMo’s eight regional subsidiaries. Full press release Here.