8 megapixel cameras and 3-plus-inch wide VGA displays are the order of the day in NTT DoCoMo's 18-strong summer 2009 range of phones from Panasonic, LG, Fujitsu, NEC, Sharp, HTC, and Toshiba, but a few are definitely standing out for us. First would be the unforgettable N-09A from NEC, integrating patent leather right into the phone's case; it's not often that you need to condition your handset with saddle soap, so that one definitely caught our eye. Next up, we have a couple smartphones (not to say that anything in this lineup can be labeled "dumb" by any stretch) from HTC and Toshiba -- the
expected HT-03A and T-01A, respectively, which are localized rebrands of the
Magic and
TG01. Only a Japanese carrier lineup oozes enough machismo to make a TG01 look like a 16-ounce can of weak juice, so our hats go off to you, NTT DoCoMo -- thanks for ruining one of 2009's most promising devices for us. Hey, at least they're offering the Magic in both white and black.
posted May 19th 2009 5:39AM
although competition is good,
this will do nothing for the US market
The pro series is pretty much the same as our top range.
But the rest of their stuff is just way ahead of ours...
I don't think the japanese market and the US market compete with each other in any way possible...
Sigh... if only the Japanese would introduce their system to the rest of the world...
Heh...TG01...weak juice...
:-/
Am in Japan here... not sure whether to go for the Android, the Toshiba or one of the home grown, all singing, all dancing models. Any thoughts? I'm leaning towards the HTC Magic, but not sure....
details
http://www.nttdocomo.com/pr/2009/001440.html
Evangelion phone? ... awesome.
And note how the Sharp SH-07A with its 10 megapixel camera (same as the 933SH from Softbank) can attach itself to any Blu-ray recorder via its included stereo speaker cradle and download content you've got on there to play later while on the move. Nice.
I think engadget puts these press releases from international carriers to show the US carriers what a phone announcement looks like. Companies need to be a little less vague of what they are releasing and when.