Apple has a history of trouble with the government in Japan, and over the the last days, more bad news reached the company (which is highly successful in Japan). This time it’s not about iPods causing fire but about the iPhone. The Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications criticized Apple Japan and its exclusive provider in the country, SoftBank Mobile, for offering insufficient… → Read More
We’ve spent quite a few posts on Sony’s Playstation Phone in the last few months, and today the Asahi Shimbun (one of Japan’s biggest newspapers) is reporting [JP] that the device will be released in spring next year. Not a big surprise, but what’s interesting is that it will hit Europe and the US first, if the report is to be believed. → Read More
In August, we reported that NTT Docomo, Japan’s biggest mobile carrier, is ready to invest a whopping $3.4 billion through 2012 in an LTE service the company has named “Xi” (which is read Crossy). And over the weekend (and as announced previously), the company finally rolled out said service [press release in English]. → Read More
As we reported multiple times over the past months, the iPhone is a hit in Japan. When compared to other Japanese phones, however, it lacks a few key features such as digital TV tuners or an e-wallet function. Provider SoftBank introduced a hardware solution for the former problem in 2008, and now there’s one for the latter, too. → Read More
Japan’s second biggest telecommunications company KDDI is working on optimizing HD video streaming quality on smaller screens. Specifically, KDDI’s R&D Labs are working on making it easier to view HD content originally intended for larger screens on mobile displays. → Read More
Back in April, Japan’s largest cell phone carrier, NTT DoComo, began running a bizarre promotion campaign in Tokyo (which prompted me to go out and post this photo report on MobileCrunch). Docomo used Darth Vader in a number of weird posters and viral video clips, without saying why and what Vader was supposed to promote. → Read More
We can’t say we’re really surprised: according to market research company Gfk, smartphones are getting increasing popular in Asia, with Android now being the region’s most popular OS for this type of handsets. Cell phones with the Google software on board have reportedly enjoyed brisk sales in that region in the second and third quarters of 2010. → Read More
Call it typical herd behavior: yesterday, we reported that both Sharp and Panasonic are preparing Android-based smartphones (to be sold in Japan and worldwide), and today we see another major Japanese cell phone maker jumping on the Android bandwagon. → Read More
To say Japanese cell phone manufacturers are late in jumping on the smartphone bandwagon would be an understatement. In Japan, the iPhone eats their lunch, and internationally, things look even worse. In fact, Sharp, Panasonic, Kyocera, Hitachi and other makers have basically stopped selling phones of any kind outside Japan years ago.
But now two of the biggest players in Japan, namely Sharp and… → Read More
About ten days ago, we reported about Sharp’s 003SH, the company’s new 3D smartphone, which will go on sale in Japan next month. And now, thanks to our friends over at Diginfonews, we can see the device captured on video. Japan’s biggest mobile carrier, NTT Docomo, will brand the device as “Sharp LYNX 3D SH-03C” (that’s how the device is being referred to in the video). → Read More
We’ve already shown you some cool cell phones Japan’s biggest mobile carrier, NTT Docomo, plans to roll out in the next few months (see the list below for a recap). But there were quite a few more worth mentioning in the company’s new winter line-up (in English). Here are all of them (I left out simple updates, rebranded versions etc.). → Read More
The Biscuit and wooden cell phones Sharp yesterday announced for the Japanese market weren’t the only ones worth mentioning. Big S also unveiled [JP] the SH-05C, a handset featuring a built-in projector that’s usable for up to 120 minutes on a full battery charge. → Read More
That wooden cell phone wasn’t the only silly cell phone Sharp introduced today in Japan. It was actually joined by a slightly sillier handset, the so-called “Bisqui Phon”. Yes, it’s shaped like a biscuit for some reason. Sharp seems to like manufacturing these things. → Read More
No comment on the branding, but Sharp will soon [JP] produce a cell phone whose body is made entirely of wood, namely Japanese cypress. According to Sharp, the handset is not a joke product but actually built for long-term usage, meaning buyers won’t have to fear mold and other things. → Read More
Toshiba in Japan has announced [JP] their first Android cell phone today, the Regza T-01C (Regza is also the brandname for the company’s flat panel TVs). Big T says they used the “Mobile Regza Engine 3.0″ for the phone’s touchscreen, which is sized at four inches and features 480×854 resolution. → Read More
<img src="http://www.mobilecrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Picture-5.png" /
Japan's No. 3 mobile carrier, SoftBank Mobile, has unveiled its cell phone line-up for this winter and spring yesterday. We already blogged in-depth about the two most interesting models, Sharp’s naked-eye 3D Android phone, but here’s the full line-up (not including simple updates of existing… → Read More
In September, we blogged on CrunchGear about Sharp’s entry into the Android tablet sector (the company is currently readying a 5.5-inch and a 10.8-inch version). Strangely dubbed “Galapagos”, the tablets, which will be available in Japan starting next month, will soon be joined by two smartphones carrying the same name. → Read More
The iPhone continues to be big in Japan, the world’s most advanced and competitive mobile nation. We reported in April this year, that the Apple handset commanded a 72.2% market share in the smartphone segment in 2009, capturing 4.9% of the entire Japanese cell phone market. → Read More
Last week, we reported about the new cell phone line up of Japan’s second biggest mobile carrier, KDDI. The company unveiled no less than 19 new handsets, and among those, one model stood out because of its unique design: the aptly named X-Ray. → Read More
KDDI, Japan’s second biggest mobile carrier, has today announced its cell phone line-up for the coming winter and spring. The company has shown not only three smartphones and two new iida “designer phones”, which we covered here, but also 14 new feature phones, some of which boast impressive specs. → Read More
Japan’s second biggest mobile carrier KDDI has just announced its cell phone line-up for the coming winter and spring. The company unveiled no less than 19 new handsets today: three smartphones, 14 feature phones and another two “designer phones”, which will be marketed under KDDI’s sub brand iida.
Here are all the main specs for the new smartphones and iida handsets (the feature phones follow in… → Read More
Earlier this week, we blogged Sharp’s new Android phone, the IS03. On paper, the handset has a lot going for it: a nice 3.5-inch touchscreen with 960×640 resolution (same as the iPhone 4) with a combined memory LCD, a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, a 9.6MP CCD camera, Wi-Fi, and Android 2.1 as the OS. → Read More
If you thought the 13MP sensors you’ve seen lately in some Japanese cell phones were enough, think again. Sony today unveiled the 1/2.8-inch back-illuminated Exmor R IMX081PQ CMOS sensor (pictured on the left), which boasts 16.41MP. Needless to say, it’s the first of its kind. → Read More
One of the hit products at Fujitsu’s booth at this year’s CEATEC exhibition (that’s currently taking place near Tokyo) was the so-called “Dual-Touchscreen Mobile Phone”. As the name suggests, it has no physical keyboard but boasts two screens instead, and it’s designed like a typical Japanese clamshell cell phone. → Read More
Panasonic was all mysterious when it announced a “Lumix Phone” last week, teasing it with a special website (now updated, but still in Japanese) that contained neither pictures nor solid information about their newest cell phone. But the company today unveiled the handset at CEATEC 2010, Asia’s biggest technology and electronics exhibition, which takes place yearly in Chiba (one hour away from… → Read More
It took Japan’s handset makers and carriers a while, but interest in Android is picking up steam over here. Sharp, for example, announced two Android tablets for release later this year just last week. Earlier this year, the same company presented the IS01 (full details), an Android-based smartbook distributed by Japan’s No. 2 mobile carrier, KDDI au.
And today both companies announced [JP] the… → Read More
There will be a large IT and electronics exhibition in Japan happening next week (CEATEC), and Panasonic Japan just announced [JP] it will use the show to announce a new cell phone. The company has set up a dedicated site [JP] for the new device but is being pretty mysterious about it (no pictures). → Read More
We can’t say we are surprised: it seems that the South Koreans can’t wait to lay their hands on the iPhone 4. The sole iPhone provider in that country, Korea Telecom (KT), says that its official website got jammed today as “tens of thousands of people” tried pre-ordering the phone in a matter of hours. → Read More
The 3D craze continues to find its way into the cell phone market. Sharp has today announced plans to launch a smartphone that features both the 3D screen (pictured) and the 3D camera the company unveiled earlier this year. While this doesn’t come as much of a surprise, a Sharp representative today stressed the phone will be available by year end – globally. → Read More
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