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The "nani": Willcom gets another awesome Windows CE device
We're not sure why Willcom would feel the need to ever look beyond Sharp to supply it with badass Windows CE-based phone after badass Windows CE-based phone -- but now that we've seen the result, we're glad they did. The "nani" from Sophia Mobile (who?) rocks a glorious 800 x 480 WVGA display, WiFi, microSD expansion, a TV tuner (one-seg, we'd imagine), and Windows CE for Willcom's PHS network in Japan. We'll refrain from calling this one a hands-down winner until we see its user interface -- customized, we assume, since it's not using Windows Mobile proper -- but it ain't a bad effort, that's for sure. "Free Thinking & High Performance," indeed.[Via SCI FI Tech]
Toshiba rolls out WX320T flip for Willcom
It was pretty well obscured (at least on our side of the pond) by the release of the glitzier, more glamorous WS011SH from Sharp, but that doesn't mean we don't love Toshiba's WX320T just the same. Technologically, the PHS-based Willcom device holds its own with a 2.4 inch QVGA primary display, microSD memory expansion, and integrated NetFront browser (a mainstay with many Willcom handsets), though the 1.3 megapixel cam is a bit skimpy in our humblest of opinions. Now if only someone could help us figure out why Toshiba's home page for the phone says "Carrots" in the lower left, we'd be ever so grateful.[Via Mobilewhack]
Sharp's WS011SH: nothing like Microsoft's leak, but still cool
So the Sharp device we thought Microsoft had accidentally leaked a day early yesterday actually looks nothing -- and we mean nothing -- like the actual handset, though what they ended up unveiling is still crazy cool. The Sharp WS011SH Advanced/W-ZERO3 [es], which we believe may be the most complicated name for a phone ever conceived, is the latest in a line of Windows Mobile-sportin' phones for Japan's Willcom; like its predecessors, the WS011SH doesn't disappoint, packing in Windows Mobile 6 Classic, numeric and slide-out QWERTY keypads, a 3-inch wide VGA display, WiFi, and 256MB of onboard storage with microSD expansion. And, oh yeah, it's only 50mm wide and 17.9mm thick. Willcom customers: we hate you (not really, it's just our extreme jealousy talking).[Via the::unwired]
Microsoft blows cover on Sharp's new device for Willcom
Remember the "X" Japan's Willcom teased us with a few weeks back? Other than offering that it'd be an ultra-thin Windows Mobile 6 device, the carrier offered virtually no info -- and with all due respect, the teaser site was a little heavy on tease and light on details. Thanks to a Microsoft press conference on the other side of the Pacific, though, the cover's now been blown a full day before the official announcement. If the picture is legit, we're fully prepared to take the existing W-ZERO3 off our lust list, and the visual is just the beginning -- the Sharp-sourced device's guts offer up Windows Mobile 6 Classic (as opposed to Professional; kinda strange, but whatevs), three inches of wide VGA glory, 256MB of onboard Flash, 128MB of RAM, and a 520MHz core in a 17.8mm shell. Seeing how Willcom uses PHS for its airwaves, this one doesn't stand a chance of working anywhere else in the world, so pick you jaw up off the floor and keep staring from afar.
Willcom puts whole handset inside headphones
Japan's Willcom sure doesn't have a shortage of handsets that rock the foundation of what a wireless phone should be, so enter this entry: a handset inside a headset. Willcom's conceptual "handset" here (that will never be in your hand) will accept a Willcom W-SIM so that the wireless headset sitting on top of that noggin can actually make independent voice calls as well. Since W-SIMs integrate a PHS wireless receiver right onto the card itself, it's easy to give non-wireless devices that capability -- so why not let that music-laden set of headphones have some fun, right?[Via Slashphone]
Willcom teases with Windows Mobile 6 equipped "X"
Those crazy cats at Japan's Willcom don't let their bizarre PHS network stop them from releasing some of the most lustworthy devices on the planet. For whatever reason, Windows Mobile seems to be particularly loved in Willcom's ranks, and the trend continues with the upcoming "X" (opposite NTT DoCoMo's "Z," perhaps?). Little is known about what the phone will look like -- or what exactly it'll do, for that matter -- but we do know that Windows Mobile 6 is under the hood and it'll be a good deal smaller and thinner ("slim-thickness," to use Willcom's verbage) than its predecessor. Is this a bittersweet goodbye, W-ZERO3?[Via Akihabara News]
Willcom's "Torch Light" concept handset
Japan's Willcom wants earthquake and tsunami situations not to affect your wireless calls or your emergency lighting. By that, we mean that the "Torch Light" handset can be used as an emergency lighting device (say, if power goes out) and will allow you to place that all-important call if local cell towers and antenna structures are still standing. This concept handset uses a WSIM card to access PHS wireless networks (read: not many), so don't expect it 'round these parts any time soon.[Via Slashphone]
Willcom shows off customizable WP004 handset
If you're getting tired of the mainstream barrage of handsets rolling out on a near-hourly basis, and don't mind sourcing your mobile from Japan, Willcom's got you covered. The highly customizable WP004 aims to please just about everyone, as it starts out as a basic communication device, but allows the customer to add specific peripherals such as a camera, GPS receiver, fingerprint scanner, and even a USB module to sync with your PC. Of course, everyone will get to experience the joy of W-SIM built right in, but picking out your extra goodies is where the real fun is. Per usual, there's no word about pricing on any of this kit, but as accessories always seem to do, we don't imagine the fully-loaded WP004s coming without a premium.[Via Slashphone]
Panasonic's Conference Speakerphone packs a SIM card
Any of us blessed (or cursed) to spend the majority of our waking hours theoretically locked in a corporate boardroom know very well the form and function of a desktop speakerphone, but Panasonic and Willcom and teaming up to deliver a rendition that relies on cellular technology rather than landlines. Oddly enough, it appears the forthcoming Conference Speakerphone will actually pack a SIM card, speaker, several built-in microphones, a mobile microphone, and even an SD slot for users to easily record conversations. Actually, if someone utilized a third-party battery pack, this entire unit could be taken on the go and used as what would quite possibly be the world's largest cellphone of the decade. The appeal is that Willcom will reportedly be offering a "flat-rate talk plan" that allows companies to equip their employees with these machines and then communicate gratis, similar to many mobile networks with free in-network calling. Although the Conference Speakerphone is slated to ship this Spring, the value here is definitely questionable, as picking up a numerous ¥100,000 ($828) devices can seriously squash that meager IT budget.[Via DigitalWorldTokyo]
Willcom rolls out WX321J, WX320K
It may not exactly be a 9-phone spectacular, but Japan's Willcom certainly doesn't want to get left out of the launch party, and they're parading a pair of new handsets to prove it. The WX321J candybar from JRC looks like the more interesting of the two, offering up biometric security, NetFront, microSD expansion, a 1.3 megapixel cam, and a QVGA display. 'Course, Kyocera's WX320K wins in the looks department on account of its color selection; it's no slouch on the spec sheet, either, toting the same camera and QVGA display but swapping out NetFront for Opera. And no, unless you live in Japan, you can't have either.[Via Engadget Japanese - WX321J, WX320K]Read - WX321JRead - WX320K
Willcom rolls out a couple new nicos
What's a "nico," you ask? It's a kid-friendly candybar served up by Japan's Willcom, a carrier riding on the short-range PHS network perhaps best known for Sharp's lustworthy W-ZERO3 Pocket PC. So anyway, these rather curious-looking nicos have been kicking around for a while now -- but so far, they've all been white. Boring, eh? A little iPodish, perhaps? No worries: Willcom's now dropped a couple black ones for ya, one with white accents and another with purple. So, you know, if you're using PHS, you live in Japan, and you have children... you know what to do.[Via Engadget Japanese]Read - Black with white accentsRead - Black with purple accents
Willcom's new PHS goodies
If you're looking to stock up on the latest WSIM goodies for your carrier's short-range PHS network (we aren't, on account of there being no PHS coverage here in the States), Japan's Willcom has you covered. Their new ExpressCard/34 adapter accepts a WSIM card, hooking up MacBook Pro users -- or any ExpressCard-equipped lappie, for that matter -- with the means to pull down data at a respectable 204Kbps. When the schedule calls for leaving the 'puter behind, pop that WSIM into this fresh candybar and be on your way. We weren't able to catch a model name or manufacturer for the blocky piece, but it apparently rocks email support and a full NetFront-based browser.
One-Seg TV Watch
From what we can tell, you'll have to buy some Japanese beer in order to get a chance to win one of these (it seems you can also win some meat), but this One-Seg TV Watch looks to be a prize worth drinking for (but really, what isn't?). In addition to picking up One-Seg terrestrial digital broadcasts, the TV Watch (available in three stylish colors) also doubles as a completely impractical cellphone once you pop in a Willcom W-SIM card. And, yes, the watch is as big as it looks, with its 2.4-inch screen pushing the dimensions to a beefy 2.3 x 3.5 x 0.88-inches, weighing in at just over four ounces. No word if/when these'll be available simply for purchase, or how much they'll set you back -- not that it'd be of much use to anyone outside of Japan, unless you've got a thing for oversized watches (which we obviously do).[Via Engadget Japanese]
Sharp's W-ZERO3[es] / WS007SH: WinMo 5 Pocket PC hotness, redefined
While we loved the specs on Sharp's W-ZERO3 / WS003SH, let's just say that its plastic, chub of a case was seriously short on swank. Now check the W-ZERO3 [es] / WS007SH hotness which our brethren at Engadget Japan got the jump on this AM. Developed under that same partnership with Sharp, Willcom, and Microsoft, the new WS007SH variant keeps the Pocket PC flavor of Windows Mobile 5.0 and 416MHz Intel PXA 270 proc but brings a second, standard phone keypad to the mini, sliding QWERTY. They even managed to squeeze that same VGA resolution into a smaller, 2.8-inch screen while keeping the best of the rest: 128MB flash (60MB allocated to the user) and 64MB of SDRAM, miniSD expansion, USB, and 1.3 megapixel cam. All this and she still manages to slim-down from 70 x 130 x 26-millimeters and 220-grams to 56 x 135 x 21-millimeters and 175-grams. Ok, no WiFi or Bluetooth yet folks, but these, like a Japanese OneSeg expansion pack for digital TV on the go are currently under development and will certainly increase the bulk. Available only in Japan starting July 27th for ¥29,800/¥36,800 (or about $260/$321) with/without a one-year contract. Many more pics, including the OneSeg TV expansion after the break. [Via Engadget Japan]
