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KDDI unveils HTC J Butterfly (HTL21), the first phone with 5-inch 1080p display
We've been hearing about a certain 5-inch HTC phablet for Verizon since July, but it looks like its Japanese counterpart may actually hit the market first. Unveiled by KDDI as the HTC J Butterfly (HTL21), this Android 4.1 device is the first announced phone to feature a 5-inch, 440ppi full-HD "Super LCD 3" panel, and it's fittingly complemented by a 1.5GHz quad-core APQ8064 underneath, making this the latest member in the small family of Snapdragon S4 Pro phones. There's an eight-megapixel camera that naturally handles 1080p video at the back, accompanied by a 2.1-megapixel front-facing imager. Other details include 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, microSDHC expansion, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 (LE), NFC, LTE and CDMA/GSM/UMTS/GPRS radios -- that's right, it's a global device. Not bad for a 140g package, and it's waterproof as well, rated at IPX5. But the question is how well will the 2,020mAh battery last under that super dense LCD and high-end processor? Only time will tell -- even KDDI has yet to finalize this part of the specs. Folks on the KDDI network can grab hold of this powerful phone in early December, with a choice of red, white or black. Update: HTC confirmed to us that this phablet will use panels supplied by Sharp and JDI.
Fujitsu IS12T Mango phone ready to launch August 25th, already accepting preorders
When we first learned of the Fujitsu IS12T, the world's first handset sporting Windows Phone 7.5 "Mango," it was rumored to be showing up in the second half of August. Our hopes were crushed, however, when the company officially stated that it should be available the following month "or beyond." Sure, a September launch would still be on right on time (given Microsoft's intent of releasing the update this fall), but wouldn't it be nice to see something come out ahead of schedule? Chin up, folks -- the Au KDDI store in Nishi-Kasai tweeted that the IS12T will be released this coming Thursday and is already accepting preorders. And there's more to the story: even though Nanopho reports that multiple locations are busy taking reservations, Au's official site is still sticking to its guns about the phone's September release. Given the tug-of-war taking place between the stores and their corporate boss, next week may turn out to be quite interesting. Update: Microsoft has now confirmed to us that there will indeed be a launch event in Japan on August 25th.
Hitachi's 720p Mobile Hi-Vision Cam Wooo gets hands-on treatment
It may be a Japan exclusive for now, but Hitachi's Mobile Hi-Vision Cam Wooo has folks drooling from sea to shining sea. The cats over at Akihabara News were able to take a glimpse while KDDI unveiled its summer lineup, and they seemed to be quite impressed with the video quality and ease of use. Check the read link for a video of the flip phone in action, but remember, don't get too attached unless you call Japan home.
