NTT DoCoMo's D800iDS takes a note from Nintendo's DS
While an opaque white clamshell doesn't really demand much special attention these days, opening it up only to discover two LCD screens is most certainly something to write home about, and considering that one of them accepts touch / stylus inputs, the correlation here simply can't be ignored. In what appears to be a spinoff of Nintendo's dual-screened approach on the DS / DS Lite handhelds, NTT DoCoMo's D800iDS handset sports twin internal displays, "one of which is a touch-sensitive screen that lets you input data via a stylus instead of a conventional keypad." Interestingly, the phone's name is even flanked by a "DS" moniker, but the carrier insists that it stands for "direct and smooth" (saywha?) and doesn't have "any relation whatsoever to any Nintendo product." While we won't readily believe that the engineers on this one have been oblivious to the DS all this time, it does manage to recognize handwritten input and sport a 1.3-megapixel camera (and probably some form of kid-tracking kit) as well. There's no word on pricing just yet, but it should launch exclusively in 
Filed under: Cellphones
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
treetrunk @ Jan 19th 2007 12:55PM
Seriously guys- when did this become a "spot gadgets which look a bit like other gadgets" blog? It seems to me that a lot of products (like otherwise no-news generic MP3 players) only get a mention because they look a bit like something else. We've had a million-and-one posts about anything which looks like the hardly-rocket-science design of the iPhone (even those which came first), the webcam below bears a passing resemblance to one made by Apple, this phone has a couple of things in common with a games console, and we're all on the edge of our seats waiting to read of the umpteenth vaguely-similar shuffle/nano "knockoff" by some company we've never heard of. It's getting a bit old!
CowboyGA @ Jan 19th 2007 12:57PM
Beautiful phone. Yet again, not in the States, and definitely not my GSM hating Verizon. Now if only they can stick in a quality camera.
Otsego @ Jan 19th 2007 1:03PM
any clamshell without an external display is a waste of plastic.
isaac @ Jan 19th 2007 1:38PM
I've all but given up on the camera. I'd rather they focus their attention on call quality.
Isaac
http://www.monomachines.com
Vince @ Jan 19th 2007 1:56PM
you can expect it for about $300 give or take a bit, since It'll be "open priced". The truth is that it looks like Mitsubishi had to drop a lot of features to make room for that second display and it's necessary electronics. Other than the cool--factor of it being a Dream Station knock-off, its feature set is pretty weak by most Japanese standards.
The Man @ Jan 19th 2007 2:10PM
DS should read "Direct and Sued"
Shibathedog @ Jan 19th 2007 4:39PM
Does DS seriously stand for Dream Station? O_o
Shibathedog @ Jan 19th 2007 4:40PM
Does DS seriously stand for Dream Station? O_o
thegoodoldkicker @ Jan 19th 2007 4:46PM
Nice one NTT, and kudo to Mits. This phone is no doubt a true innovation and design master from Japan. Who would ever thought that the DS change the face of celphone. Good job Nintendo.
To Apple and South Korea, start your photocopy machine. (LOL)
E Malave Jr @ Jan 19th 2007 6:19PM
Took the words outta my mouth treetrunk!
A few more of these and Engadget definately gets removed from my feeds and Yahoo homepage. It's really wasting my time.
Shunnabunich @ Jan 19th 2007 8:06PM
Pshaw. I'm still waiting for my MacBook Pro DS.
SonyknowURAASS @ Jan 27th 2007 4:02AM
Once again NTT Docomo has set the standard for G3 and Kudo to the Mits. This phone is a true innovation of Japanese Design and creativity. To Apple and South Korea, start your photocopy machine,(LOL) you're gonna need it. It's too bad that people in the US have to rely on Apple for innovation. What a shame, would it be a lot better to resell Docomo phones with a Apple logo on it. At the very least you know it gonna be on G3 and you can actually write on it and pays for you bus fair and train tickets.