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LG Optimus LTE launches in Japan, wears kimono red
It looks like Japanese networks haven't yet satisfied their lust for high-end 4G phones. LG's Optimus LTE is primed to launch on NTT Docomo's Xi network tomorrow, going toe-to-toe with Samsung's Galaxy S II LTE. LG, which launched the first LTE-certified device in Japan, is hoping that the Optimus LTE's HD IPS display will be enough to divert attention away from the Super AMOLED Plus screen of its Korean rival. A special red edition should also help it stand out from the crowd of anonymous dark oblongs, although the color palette of DoCoMo's current range is anything but staid. The carrier plans to hit around 30 million customers with its high-speed service before the end of 2015, which should keep spare battery and charger manufacturers in business for the foreseeable future.
Sharp AQUOS SH-01D's optical image stabilizer hands-on (video)
If you need further proof of how the Japanese keep the best to themselves, then here's yet another fine example to fuel your jealousy. Sharp's recently launched AQUOS SH-01D is one of the few -- if not the first -- Android phones that feature optical image stabilization, and this is all thanks to the company's new 12.1 megapixel, 1/3.2-inch CMOS camera module. The demo videos are plenty impressive, but naturally, we had to see for ourselves to really believe it, so playstyle.hk kindly lent us an SH-01D for a quick and dirty hands-on. As per typical NTT DoCoMo Android phones, our SH-01D suffered from minor lags due to the heavy OS customization; but leaving that aside we dug its 4.5-inch 1,280 x 720 ASV display and its overall build quality. We then quickly moved on to the camera: while image stabilization is available for both photo and video modes, don't expect it to fully compensate your shakiness -- you'll see below that we ended up with a few slightly blurry stills at night, which isn't surprising; but regardless, we got plenty of vibrant colors in most cases. The stabilization is more noticeable in video mode, and it's definitely more effective than the Droid RAZR's implementation -- we got some sample clips after the break for your viewing pleasure. There's no telling when other phones will get this technology, but if you want a taste of the future then you can grab an SH-01D from playstyle.hk for HK$5,500 or about US$708. %Gallery-141237% %Gallery-141217%
Sharp AQUOS SH-01D appears on NTT DoCoMo, offers up glasses-free 3D
Not content with brandishing a medley of LTE-packed smartphones this season, Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo has confirmed a December release for Sharp's AQUOS SH-01D. While it lacks any 4G chops, the Android phone is cocooned in waterproof protection and packs a 12.1 megapixel camera on the back. An OMAP 4430 1GHz dual-core processor runs Gingerbread on the 3D-capable 1280 x 720 ASV display -- all crammed inside a waifish 9.7mm frame. Despite a recent visit to the FCC, there's no word on whether the water-defiant device will brave the Pacific ocean to arrive on these shores. However, any ex-patriots gasping for the SH-10D's potent screen will be able to grab one on December 2 and can unravel more specification mysteries in the Google-translated press release below.
Samsung Galaxy S II LTE arrives in Japan, NTT DoCoMo offers up its first course of 4G phones
Japan has got its first taste of an LTE smartphone, and this one's Galaxy-flavored. Oh yes, Samsung's Galaxy S II LTE has made an appearance on NTT DoCoMo, running on the Japanese carrier's next-generation Xi network and promising top download speeds of around 37.5Mbps. The latest member to the carrier's top-drawer Next series will set you back around $260 (¥20,000) on a two-year contract. DoCoMo is aiming to reach the hands of 30 million customers by 2015, with another as-yet unnamed several more 4G devices already penned for release before the end of the year. Perhaps the pair of data-loving handsets will help to fill that iPhone-shaped hole in the carrier's phone catalog. Update: Contrary to the Asahi Shimbun report, it looks like both the Fujitsu Arrows X LTE F-05D and the LG Optimus LTE will cosy up on the new high-speed network before the end of the year.
Square Enix Market heads to KDDI December 1st, ports the RPG addiction to Android phones
The land that begot Mario, Murakami and okonomiyaki has a lot of perks for denizens of its island chains, like special edition multi-colored consoles or Mother 3. Add to that ever-increasing list of pluses a dedicated Square Enix Market for Android phones and it's clear the Japanese enjoy a home advantage. The recently announced gaming app store is slated to launch as a limited exclusive for KDDI subscribers on December 1st, with DoCoMo and Softbank sharing in the mobile wares sometime soon after. It may have been a good decade or two since the company's RPGs monopolized the latter days of your youth, but there's no time like the present to get reacquainted with those Final Fantasy friends of old. As you might expect, this is a Japan-only affair. So, if you're really keen to take part, you might want to consider relocation.
Sharp's splashproof Aquos SH-01D arrives at the FCC's door, won't shut up about its 12.1 MP camera
Japan has typically had exclusive access to Sharp's skinny and big-screened smartphone series, but that could soon change. Details of the Aquos SH-01D have now appeared in the FCC's bulging mail box, a phone packing a dual-core 1GHz processor and a glasses-free 3D 4.5-inch screen. Add in water resistance and a whopping 12.1 megapixel camera, and you can see why it's piqued our interest. The phone is already booked to make an appearance in Japanese NTT DoCoMo stores later this month in blue, white and black options. Of course, despite Sharp's application for an FCC nod of approval, the company may have no intentions of selling it on US soil. We'll keep our phone-hungry fingers crossed that it gets okayed for overseas travel.
NTT DoCoMo begins testing automated Japanese / English translation app that actually works (video)
We went hands-on with NTT DoCoMo's menu translator last month at CEATEC, but now Japan's leading carrier has a new translation tool to show off -- and it's quite impressive. The smartphone-based service analyzes your spoken word in Japanese or English, letting you converse with your phone in either language and presenting an on-screen and audible translation. Even more notable, however, is the near-real-time call analysis, in which the device translates your call immediately after you finish speaking each line. We defer our interlingual calls to our Japanese staffers, but an app like this would make it possible to converse directly with folks in other countries without the need for a human translator. NTT is claiming a success rate of between 80 and 90 percent, which is a significant improvement over the version we saw demoed earlier this year. The carrier started testing the service with 400 users today, and hopes to make it available to all subscribers in the second half of 2012. Jump past the break to see it in action in a pair of Japanese-language demos.
Galaxy Nexus images, specs and benchmarks apparently leaked
Either these posters are extremely elaborate fakes, or NTT DoCoMo is really bad at keeping secrets. Just hours after it prematurely tweeted a November release for the Galaxy Nexus (aka the Nexus Prime), we now have what appears to be a full spec list and comparison with the other handsets in the Japanese carrier's range. The details are nearly all familiar from previous suspected leaks, including the dual-core 1.2GHz Texas Instruments processor, 720p Super AMOLED curved glass display, five megapixel camera with 1080p video recording and 32GB of storage (plus 1GB RAM). Now, it's entirely possible that the fakers are all singing from the same dodgy hymn sheet -- but if that's true, then they've also been busily submitting forged benchmarks to GLBenchmark, which displays results from a 'Galaxy Nexus' that include the same 1.2GHz clock speed and HD screen (albeit listed as 1196x720, supposedly due to the onscreen buttons). We'll know the truth soon enough -- the full fandango is but hours away. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Fujitsu Arrows Tab LTE F-01D with gesture control hands-on (video)
NEC's waterproof MEDIAS N-06C to get a sprinkle of Gingerbread and 1GHz power Wireless, Tablet PCs Sony's Tablet S and P get 3G in Japan NTT DoCoMo begins testing automated Japanese / English translation app that actually works (video) We'll probably never match Japan's obsession with waterproof gadgets, but anyone would appreciate how the local manufacturers also manage to keep them thin and light at the same time. The Fujitsu Arrows Tab LTE F-01D we fiddled with here at CEATEC is one such example: while it's thicker than Samsung's 10.1-inch counterpart by almost 3mm, we were surprised that Fujitsu's latest Android tablet also weighs just under 600g -- not bad considering it's suitable for use in the shower. What's more, the F-01D comes with a rather unique feature that's great for use in the bathroom or the kitchen: camera-based gesture control, which works in the browser (to scroll pages or go back and forth) as well as the 1seg or DLNA TV viewer (to change the channel and volume). You'll see in our video after the break that the gestures worked liked a charm for us, though initially we had to make sure that the tablet wasn't facing any strong light behind us (a typical problem in large conventions). Anyhow, if you're up for grabbing an F-01D, it'll be available on NTT DoCoMo in Japan next week. %Gallery-135783%
NTT DoCoMo menu translator app hands-on (video)
NTT DoCoMo menu translator app hands-on (video) NTT DoCoMo begins testing automated Japanese / English translation app that actually works (video) NTT DoCoMo exhibits on-the-fly speech translation, lets both parties just talk (video) Have you ever tried to read a Japanese menu? If there aren't pictures to reference, you'll likely have a difficult time figuring out what to order -- unless you can read Japanese, of course. NTT DoCoMo hopes to improve the dining experience for those of us that can't tell our ウニ (sea urchin) from our カニ (crab), building an app that can translate any of 9,000 possible menu entries from Japanese into English. It also supports English to Japanese translation, along with Chinese (both Mandarin and Cantonese) and Korean translations as well. The app worked fairly well, occasionally mistaking things like salmon caviar for "a rare part of the pork." OK, so perhaps there's a bit more work to be done. Either way, real-time visual language translation is definitely tricky stuff, and could be enormously helpful to travelers once devs figure out how to make it work -- and work well. Jump past the break to see the app do its thing at CEATEC.%Gallery-135633%
NTT DoCoMo bad breath, body fat and food analyzers hands-on (video)
It's been a busy year for NTT DoCoMo's research and development division, with the company presenting a goldmine of future accessories at its CEATEC booth. We're not seeing anything terribly exciting in the smartphone department, beyond a wider adoption of Android, but from the battery with a 10-minute charge time that we saw yesterday to the bad breath, hunger, body fat and food analyzers that you'll find below, there are certainly quite a few gadgets worth checking out. We're bundling a few of them here, so jump past the break for our hands-ons with three different health accessories (including a bad breath analyzer!) and a clever food analyzing app.%Gallery-135632%
NTT DoCoMo battery claims 10-minute charge time, we go hands-on (video)
It's not uncommon for our batteries to need the occasional boost while we're running around a trade show, but spending more than a couple minutes tethered to a power outlet can be seriously detrimental to our productivity. And we're definitely not alone. NTT DoCoMo, one of Japan's largest carriers, has developed a prototype battery that's capable of achieving a complete charge in just ten minutes. NTT reps weren't willing to get into much detail about the new technology, which currently employs an external lithium-ion battery sleeve and is only designed to support NEC's super-slim Medias Android (Japan only) smartphone. They did let us take a look at the battery sleeve's AC adapter, which supports output of up to 6.0 amps, but otherwise appeared to be fairly generic. A pair of amp meters compared the power draw of a standard battery with that of the ultra high speed charger, which pulled 0.55 amps and 5.86 amps, respectively -- at least according to the demo equipment on hand at NTT's CEATEC booth. The model we saw definitely looked very much like an early prototype at this point, and the carrier didn't seem to have any idea of when it may begin to be implemented in handsets and other devices, only committing to a release "as soon as possible." Still, we're pretty excited about the potential here (imagine being able to charge your phone completely with only a quick stop at an airport kiosk), and wouldn't hesitate to pick a battery up -- assuming of course that the final version is a bit more refined. Click on through the gallery shots below, or jump past the break for our hands-on video to get a closer look.%Gallery-135558%
Sony PlayStation Vita debuts in Japan on December 17th, partnering with NTT DoCoMo for 3G (updated)
Sony's just announced in Tokyo that the PlayStation Vita will debut in Japan on December 17th, and it'll partner with NTT DoCoMo for the console's prepaid 3G service. Customers will have two choices of connection here: 980 yen ($13) for 20 hours, and 4,980 yen ($65) for 100 hours -- see press release after the break. Alas, the rest of the world will still have to wait until 2012, but you'll know more concrete dates as soon as we do. For now, head over to our sister site Joystiq for the SCEJ press conference liveblog.Update: Capcom's Yoshinori Ono came on stage to mention that Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 would launch simultaneously with the console. Square Enix also announced that the PS2's Final Fantasy X will be remastered for the PS Vita, and it'll be in PS3-like quality; sadly, there was no date nor demonstration.Update 2: The first 500 units sold will come with 100 hours of prepaid 3G connectivity. Want in? Pre-orders open on October 15th.Update 3: We now have a video demonstration of the Vita's interface. Enjoy!%Gallery-133612%
Samsung, NTT DoCoMo to develop smartphone chips in proposed joint venture
Qualcomm may be facing some new competition in the mobile chip space, now that NTT DoCoMo and three other Japanese firms are looking to join forces with Samsung. According to Japan's Nikkei business daily, the quartet of firms (which includes Fujitsu, NEC and Panasonic's mobile unit) is currently finalizing negotiations with Samsung over a proposed joint venture that would design, develop and market smartphone chips. The partners are reportedly planning to incorporate the new chips into their own devices, while selling them to other handset manufacturers, as well. DoCoMo would hold a majority stake in the ¥30 billion (about $390 million) partnership, which could help lower procurement costs, while reducing the partners' dependency upon industry-leading Qualcomm. A DoCoMo spokesman acknowledged that the provider is exploring a variety of collaborations, but was quick to point out that nothing's been finalized. Samsung and Fujitsu, meanwhile, have yet to comment.
Fujitsu LOOX F-07C review
For those who've been dwelling on this planet long enough, you might just remember a category of mobile computers by the name of UMPCs. In particular, think Sony's VAIO UX, the OQO devices and the elusive xpPhone. Alas, those Windows devices were -- and probably still are -- well ahead of their time no thanks to their battery life, bulkiness and sometimes cost; though for some bizarre reason, Fujitsu begs to differ. In fact, said company took one step further and released a hybrid device in Japan: the LOOX F-07C, a QWERTY slider phone that can switch between Symbian and Windows 7 at a click of a button. Interesting combination, right? Read on to find out how this weird device fares in real life. %Gallery-131163% %Gallery-131207%
NTT DoCoMo's Fujitsu F-07C now available, marries Windows 7 and Symbian at last
Calling the Fujitsu LOOX F-07C an eccentric device is not a stretch -- in fact, it's one of the more unique smartphones we've seen in a fair length of time. Now available on NTT DoCoMo, the dual-booting hybrid is touted as "the world's smallest PC," since it can switch between Windows 7 and Symbian and offers a few netbook-worthy specs. It runs off a 1.2GHz Intel Atom Z600 CPU (downclocked by 50 percent, unfortunately), a 32GB eMMC SSD, and 1GB LPDDR400 RAM, packed underneath a 4-inch SVGA (1024 x 600) LCD display. You can also take advantage of the 5-megapixel camera on the back, paired up with a VGA front-facing shooter. Things get a little strange when it comes to battery life, however; while you get up to 600 hours of standby time and 370 minutes of talk time in mobile phone mode, it gets sucked dry after just two hours when using Windows 7. If your smartphone just doesn't have enough brainpower to handle your daily grind, here's an alternative. Full press release with specs are after the break.
NEC MEDIAS WP N-06C hands-on
There aren't really that many choices when it comes to waterproof Android phones, let alone those that also happen to be razor thin, so excuse us for getting all giddy when our Engadget Chinese brethren stumbled upon this NEC MEDIAS WP N-06C at Sin Tak, Hong Kong. Here's a quick recap: what we have here is a 7.9mm-thick Android 2.3.3 handset that packs a 4-inch 480 x 854 LCD, 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 chip, 512MB RAM, 1GB ROM, and 5 megapixel autofocus camera. Additionally, this phone also boasts IPX5 and IPX7 protection ratings -- the former for protection against water jets, and the latter for immersion up to one meter (and for the record, the "X" indicates no solid protection rated here). Read on for our hands-on impressions. %Gallery-128511%
NTT DoCoMo to power cellphone towers with renewable energy, tenderness
When they're not busy carving handsets out of teak (or rockin' out with their pupils), the folks over at NTT DoCoMo apparently focus their efforts on saving the environment. Next year, the Japanese provider will begin outfitting its expansive cellphone tower network with ten "green transmission stations," to be powered by an artillery of biofuels, wind and solar energy. This kind of infrastructure would obviously bring a smile to the face of ol' Mama Nature, but it could also help mitigate the adverse effects of power outages and elfin insurgents. And for that, we should all be grateful.
Sharp Aquos SH-12C 3D smartphone hands-on (video)
Towards the end of our recent trip to Taiwan for Computex, just as the hustle and bustle was winding down and we'd settled on a bit of sightseeing, we stumbled upon a rare beast -- a smartphone unicorn of sorts -- the Sharp Aquos SH-12C. This 3D-capable Android handset for NTT's Docomo network was imported from its native Japan by a Hong Kong resident who was also attending the epic trade show. Like the HTC EVO 3D, this device features twin cameras and a glasses-free stereoscopic qHD display, so we decided to combine work and play by getting some hands-on time with this mysterious phone right on the observation deck of Taipei 101. Take a look a our gallery below -- complete with foggy views from the 89th floor at dusk -- and hit the break for our hands-on video, first impressions and some camera samples.%Gallery-125920%
NTT DoCoMo announces 24 new mobile wonders (yes, really) to flood its network
So, Japan... want a new mobile device? How about 24? This grandiose announcement comes straight from NTT DoCoMo, which commonly lays its cards on the table for the delight of consumers. Among the selection you'll find eight new Gingerbread phones, six incredibly high-res shooters (ranging between 12.2 and 16.3 megapixels), eight waterproof handsets, and one embedded with Swarovski crystals. We're particularly thrilled to see the mighty Galaxy S II, 3D-capturing Aquos SH-12C, 700-nit Optimus Bright (contrastingly-named but nearly identical to the Optimus Black), ultra-slim MEDIAS WP N-06C, and mobile payment-enabled Xperia Acro. Oh, and don't forget about the LOOX F-07C -- a multi-talented handset that's running Symbian and Windows 7 Home Premium -- while two LTE-enabled WiFi routers are sneaking into DoCoMo's party, too. That's a lot to absorb, so check out the source for individual release timeframes, which begin now and continue through August -- or just check out the PR after the break.
