Editor’s Note
Editor’s Note

Editor’s Note

Bandai Introduces SmartBerry Handset

Bandai Introduces SmartBerry HandsetBandai, famous for the ’90’s Tamagochi craze, has introduced their new SmartBerry Communicator device. Targeted at young girls, this slider styled touch screen unit offers profile personalization – a virtual business card with blood type and birthdate as given examples – to be shared with trusted friends via real email, including photo attachments and emoji icons of course, with instant chat and multi-player gaming functions, just to name a few.

Available starting this weekend, for about $100, the company has forcasted moving 100,000 units in Japan by spring 2009.

You have to wonder how long it will be before the folks at Mattel catch-up with something like this for Barbie Girls too.. Egad! More details after the jump.

3G iPhone in Tokyo – TGIF

3G iPhone in Tokyo - TGIFWell it was a long time coming but this morning at 07:00 the first 3G iPhones started hitting the street here in Tokyo with almost 1,000 die-hard fans in line at the SoftBank Mobile flagship store in Omote-Sando eager to buy the next-generation mobile computing device.. while supplies last.

Wireless Watch Japan was on the scene, last night and all morning for the launch party at Bic Camera in Yurakucho, shooting some video and chatting with the crowd. Doesn’t he look happy!

We have a ton of material to edit down but for the time being we pulled a few screen grab teaser shots. More after the jump.

Opera Releases Mini Mobile Report

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?

3G iPhone for Japan Via SoftBank Mobile

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..!!!

DoCoMo Scores PRADA Phone by LG

DoCoMo Scores PRADA Phone by LGThe 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.

What Else Can They Put on a Cellphone

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!