DoCoMo's 3G handsets get serious

Japanese cellphone giant NTT DoCoMo's FOMA 3G service has so far been something of a disappointment because the handsets haven't offered the kind of innovation that characterised the i-mode phones that fuelled its initial ascendancy. Two of DoCoMo's latest models, however, suggest that coolness is on the way back, bigtime. The Fujitsu F900iT and Panasonic P900iV (shown right) offer screens that twist round 180 degrees and fold flat for PDA-style use,
with the F900iT boasting a touchscreen on which you can scribble, while the P900iV lets you shoot high-quality QVGA-sized MPEG 4 video side-on using the 1.95-megapixel camera in its hinge. The Fujitsu phone is also a rarity in Japan in offering Bluetooth, with a compact headset mike on the way so you can be stared at by people who think you're talking to yourself. Both phones should be out this month in Japan and (sorry to gloat, but) we'll be getting our hands on one as soon as possible, provided we can make up our minds about which of them we want most.