Terminal Technology
Terminal Technology

Terminal Technology

DoCoMo Unveils Ultimate 3G Phones: FOMA 900i Series

NTT DoCoMo, Inc. and its eight regionalsubsidiaries today unveiled the FOMA 900i series, the most advanced-ever 3G FOMA i-mode mobile phones, featuring a Macromedia Flash-equipped browser, HTML e-mailand avatar-capable videophone. Compared with the original series of FOMA phones, 900imodels offer three times longer standby and weigh 20 percent less. The 900i series will boast the first 3G phones equipped with a Macromedia Flash browserfor the enjoyment of rich content enhanced with highly fluid animation. Flash applicationsof up to 100K are possible, compared with 20K in 2G mova 505i series. The new serieswill also handle richer, more sophisticated online games. Java-based i-appli applications offer a 400K scratch pad and have a maximum capacity of 100K forcontent/archiving, compared with 200K and 30K in existing models.

Vodafone's 256K Java: Pricey Eye Candy

It’s been long argued that Japan’s mobile Internet can be divided into two eras: pre- and post-Java. Despite the 100K (or lower) limit imposed on Java applications by all three operators and a low cost of just a couple of hundred yen per download, the mobile application environment has been crucial in boosting usage, packets and profits, particularly at NTT DoCoMo. Java has been cheap for the public – and a moneymaker for the carriers. But a richer Java experience, introduced by Vodafone Japan, is what a high-end segment of the Japanese crowd is looking for.

Samsung Ships Linux 3G Smartphone

Samsung is shipping a high-end smartphone powered by embedded Linux from Mizi Research that supports both Chinese and English. The device is being distributed in China, initially, where it works with #2 China wireless provider Unicom’s CDMA2000 1x network. The Samsung SCH-i519 offers an impressive range of high-end PDA and smartphone features, including sophisticated voice-control capabilities. It currently sells for about $750.

IDC Doubtful on 2 Megapixel Camera Phone Rollout

Most of Japan’s next-generation cell phones are going to have 2 megapixel cameras next year, right? There is already a supply crunch developing for CMOS sensors, right? The global shipment of cellies is going to near 490 million units in 2004, right? And, finally, Japanese makers are gearing up for an assault on the world market via Vodafone, right? Probably not, don’t think so, well if you are very lucky and Vodafone central is a long way from Tokyo- there is something fishy about Vodafone talking up its love of Japanese handsets…these are the sorts of answers that you get if you talk to IDC Japan’s top wireless device analyst Michito (Mitch) Kimura, who has his own take on things. Recently, WWJ listened in on Kimura’s presentation about camera phone trends, followed up with an interview, and came back with the following snapshot.

DoCoMo to Launch 3 New 505iS Models

DoCoMo and its eight regional subsidiaries today announced the coming release of three new handsets in the 2G mova 505iS series: the SO505iS, a mega-pixel camera phone equipped to play extended-length video files; the N505iS, the first NEC-made camera phone in the mova lineup with 1.3 mega-pixel resolution; and the SH505iS, which comes with a 2.02 mega-pixel, auto-focus camera. The N505iS will be released on December 10, 2003 and the SO505iS and SH505iS will be released on December 12, 2003.

Sharp and Panasonic part of new FOMA lineup

Well, that’s two more in the bag. Excitement is building here about what DoCoMo has up its sleeves for the next FOMA rollout. I was relaxing reading a newspaper in my favorite coffee shop in Tameike-Sanno this week and what should I overhear…. Sharp and Panasonic are the latest　cellphone makers to complete development of handsets for DoCoMo’s 900i Foma series. NTT DoCoMo is keeping pretty quiet on the phone’s features right now but, if you’re keeping track, you can add the SH900i and P900i to the D900i from Mitsubishi Electric as part of the new Foma line-up due in the first few months of 2004.