NTT DoCoMo's Winter 2007 lineup: the 705i series

With KDDI au and Softbank under our belts, we turn our attention to the granddaddy of 'em all, NTT DoCoMo. As usual, Japan's largest carrier has pulled out all the stops for its latest release, the 705i and 905i series rocking entries from Sharp, Fujitsu, LG, Sony Ericsson, Nokia, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, and NEC. Flips are the name of the game here (surprise, surprise) with an occasional slider thrown in for good measure, all with feature lists designed to please -- and in some cases, stun. We're going to kick things off here with a look at the 705i goodies -- so without further ado, read on.

Mitsubishi D705iµ
One of just two candybars in the mix (if you guessed that the other was coming from Nokia, you'd be dead right), the D705iµ sports a relatively meager 1.3 megapixel camera, but arguably makes up for it with stunning good looks and a 10.3mm thick shell. It'll be available in the first two months of 2008 in black, silver, and blue.

NEC N705iµ
So NTT DoCoMo claims the N750iµ clamshell from NEC is the world's thinnest with a stainless body; we don't have the evidence to back that up here, but at 9.8mm, we're inclined to think it's plausible. The display's WQVGA, the camera weighs in at 2 megapixels -- oh, and see that dot matrix action on the lid? Those are LEDs, flashing all fancy-like with time and call information. Grab it in early '08 in red, silver, and black.

Panasonic P705iµ
The P705iµ shares "world's thinnest stainless" honors with its N705iµ stablemate, weighing in at the same 9.8mm thick. It features one-push automatic open, a 2 megapixel camera, wide QVGA display, and special graphics and sounds fashioned by design firm TGB Design. Look for it in three subdued shades -- silver, brown, and black -- when it comes a-knockin' in early 2008.

Mitsubishi D705i
The wide QVGA display's nice, but with a 1.3 megapixel cam, there's not much to talk about here. You're not going to want to chat with strangers about your phone anyway with that one-seg tuner on board -- a tuner that's capable of recording up to 10 hours of programming onto external storage, by the way. Check it in pink, black, and white somewhere in the January to February '08 range (notice a trend here?)

Fujitsu F705i
It's waterproof, which we continue to believe is probably the coolest / best feature a cellphone could ever offer. We say "continue to believe" because this isn't the first time NTT DoCoMo has offered a waterproof handset, and if we had to guess, we'd say it probably won't be the last, either. The carrier actually says it's perfect for use in the kitchen or the bath, in fact, so if attending teleconferences from the soothing confines of your shower is your gig, the F705i is most certainly your phone. Like many of the other devices in the 705i series, it'll drop in the first two months of the new year.

LG L705i
LG releasing a downright understated handset, eh? No worries, there's a flashy LG in the mix -- more on that in a bit -- but first off, here we have the "basic" L705i. Hot keys below the screen make for super easy quick dialing, a feature that's typically a hallmark of handsets targeted at the older set. Neither the styling nor the 1.3 megapixel cam are going to be impressing anyone, but the world roaming capability is a bonus. Get this one in gold, wine, or black by the end of February.

LG L705iX
Ah, here we go! Back to LG's comfort zone, we see. Nope, your eyes aren't deceiving you, this is a perfect copy of the globally recognizable Shine slider for the Japanese market. This particular version ups the ante with support for HSDPA 7.2 (hence the "X" in the model number), though the phone seems otherwise similar to the one everyone else is getting. This one's delayed a bit from its stablemates, finding its way onto shelves by March in silver, titanium, and gold.

NEC N705i
Whoa, what's up with that crazy secondary display? Can we just get the time and perhaps a little caller ID action, please? That monstrosity appears to cost the N705i some girth, too, clocking in at a comparably mighty 14.5mm. The good news is that it's global roaming capable, features a 3 inch WQVGA display with one-seg tuner, and has some sort of tie-in with REALFLEET's wood-clad Amandana series of devices. It should launch shortly after the turn of the year in white, orange, and black.

Nokia NM705i
The NM705i appears to be a fairly straightforward adaptation of Nokia's global 6120 Classic for the Japanese market, featuring a QVGA display, 2 megapixel cam, and global roaming. Would be kinda cool if we could get this orange shade on the 6120, yeah? Get it next February in your choice of black, white, and the aforementioned "bitter orange."

Panasonic P705i
HSDPA, 3 inch WQVGA display, and a 2 megapixel camera -- not a bad combo, and it gets better when you hear it's all inside 12.8 millimeters worth of phone. This probably isn't the best choice for the most indecisive buyers, seeing how it's available in four shades -- white, blue, pink, and "dark" -- when it launches by the end of February.

Sharp SH705i
The SH705i ups the 705i series ante a smidge by shoehorning a 3.2 megapixel autofocus lens into the mix, but pretty much everything else is as you'd expect: one-seg tuner, 2.8 inch WQVGA display, and a clamshell design that reeks of midrange DoCoMo. Blue, white, and pink are your choices when it lands in February.

Sony Ericsson SO705i
Pretty interesting how Sony Ericsson's domestic Japanese handsets bear virtually no resemblance to their global cousins, isn't it? Not to say we're complaining -- and we don't think NTT DoCoMo's customers are, either. The headlining feature here seems to be the phone's interchangeable "Style-Up" panels, complimenting custom light patterns that can be downloaded and installed. Otherwise, the flip wears the now well-worn 705i specs: 2 megapixel camera and 2.8 inch WQVGA display. Look for it in pink, white, and gray come February.

Along with the N750iµ and N750iµ, the PROSOLID µ is also the world's thinnest stainless phone at 9.8mm. Thanks to the lack of a camera, integrated document viewer, and voice recorder, the carrier seems to be targeting this one squarely at the business market -- businesspeople with thin pockets, apparently. You can get this one in any shade you like as long as it's "gun metallic" starting in February.