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KDDI au concept phones explained and pictured
We got the low-down (well, at much of a low-down as one can get from thematic designers) on KDDI's latest au concept phones here at CEATEC, and the themes are -- are you sitting down? -- space and soup atomic elements. No, we didn't make that up. If you're still with us, hit the break for some pictures and explanations.
KDDI au concept phones invade CEATEC
We already caught sight of KDDI au's cellphone as musical instrument concept devices last month, but it looks like the company's fanciful design group had plenty more than those to show off at CEATEC, as evidenced by Akihabara News' slew of pictures from the show. Those include the satellite-like device pictured above, as well as a neat little minimalist number pictured after the break and another folding contraption (also after the break) that we're still trying to wrap our heads around. Hopefully we'll get a chance to check these out ourselves before CEATEC wraps up but, until then, you can hit up the read link below for some more pics.
HTC Touch Pro to materialize in Japan as KDDI au's E30HT
Hard as it may be to believe, not every CDMA phone out of HTC is destined for North American soil. The company clearly sees the potential for its Touch Pro to win the hearts and minds of Windows Mobile lovers the world over, so it has partnered with KDDI au to bring it to Japan as the E30HT next spring. Thing is, au's a CDMA network through and through -- with EV-DO, of course -- so it comes as no surprise that the version launching over there looks suspiciously like the one coming to Sprint and other CDMA carriers in the coming months. Can't wait until the first part of 2009 to put it in your pocket? Well, tough cookies -- but at least you'll be able to catch an early glimpse at CEATEC at the end of this month where the E30HT is scheduled to make a cameo.[Via Engadget Japanese]
KDDI's "Ply" concept lives up to its name
As carriers go, Japan's KDDI au seems to spend more time than just about anyone dreaming up crazy concept handsets -- some of which actually go on to become production models (this is Japan, after all). Alongside those Yamaha-branded musical instrument phones, KDDI has been showing off the plywood-inspired "Ply," an expansive touchscreen backed by a number of layers that represent the phone's various functions. Said functions are actually pretty far-fetched -- there's a printer, pico-projector, and analog clock with a minute hand that actually swings out beyond the body of the phone itself, for example -- but the phone itself is pretty stunningly beautiful, so we'd love to see it on the streets of Tokyo even if it meant nixing the printer.[Via textually.org]
KDDI au announces Summer 2008 collection
In Japan, carriers tend to release new models in giant, blockbuster batches -- seasonal "collections" that leave the rest of the world green with envy. KDDI au is no exception, having just announced its predictably spectacular Summer 2008 lineup with entrants from Kyocera, Sony Ericsson, Sanyo, Sharp, Toshiba, Casio, and Korea's Pantech. Here's the rundown: Hitachi Wooo W62H. KDDI is emphasizing this one's video and 3D gaming capabilities, both of which are assisted by the presence of a 2-way hinge for flipping out the screen in a landscape orientation. Comes in blue, silver, and black. Sharp W62SH. The FM transmitter's kinda cool, and the three-inch WVGA screen should be perfect for watching Spiderman 2, which comes bundled with the phone. Purple, white, and gold are the color choices. Sanyo W63SA. Global CDMA roaming and an integrated English-Japanese dictionary makes this one a solid choice for world travelers. Get this one in red, silver, or black. Toshiba Sportio. As the name implies, this one's all about burnin' those calories with an integrated calorie counter. The candybar form factor is a refreshing change of pace in the lineup, but too bad about that QVGA display! Five colors to choose from here: orange, black, white, green, and red. Casio G'zOne W62CA. Like its counterparts on Verizon, the W62CA is designed to take a beating without falling apart. It's impact resistant and waterproof, features a compass, thermometer, and GPS, and naturally, one-seg TV. Get it in green, black, or white. Sanyo W64SA. This fashionable flip has some crazy light effects to go along with its crazy selection of colors, but other than that, it seems pretty pedestrian. If you can call a 2.8-inch WVGA display "pedestrian." It's available in pink, white, yellow, and black. Sony Ericsson Full Change re. The WQVGA display is one metric ton of weak sauce, but as the "Full Change" name suggests, five individual pieces can be removed from the front, back, and top of the phone to create a totally customized handset. Shell choices include white, pink, green, orange, and silver. Toshiba W62T. Seriously, what's up with all this WQVGA garbage? The W62T appears destined for the midrange, though the 3.2 megapixel camera ain't bad. Colors for this one are gold, pink, and black. Kyocera W64K. Possibly leading up the bottom end of the collection, the W64K rocks a WQVGA display and a weak 2 megapixel cam. We see "basic capabilities" mentioned a couple times in the translated description for it, so that says pretty much all we need to know. Pink and gold are the only color options here. Kyocera W62K. Whoa, and we thought the W64K was low end! 1.3 megapixel cam, QVGA (yeah, that's right, QVGA, not WQVGA) display. 'Nuff said. Beige, blue, and black are the choices here. Kyocera W63K. The W63K candybar is just 10.8mm thick, but we're still not sure that we can forgive it for a meager 1.3 megapixel camera. Kyocera's seriously dragging here, in case you haven't noticed the trend. Black, burgundy, and beige. Pantech W62PT. The only phone in the lineup sourced from a non-Japanese manufacturer, the Pantech's nothing to get too excited about with a QVGA display, but the presence of quick dial buttons directly below the screen indicates that this one's designed for folks that are looking for a simple, easy-to-use phone that's just enough to make voice calls -- and ironically, it's still better than a good percentage of the phones you'll find elsewhere in the world. It'll come in silver, gold, and pink. Not a bad showing, especially considering that KDDI au stands out as Japan's major CDMA carrier in a country dominated by FOMA. Get 'em while they're hot, folks -- you know it's just a few months before the next collection debuts!
KDDI au announces Spring 2008 collection
Yes, friends, the time has come once again for Japan's carriers to upheave their still-fresh lineups and replace them with even fresher ones. Here we take a look at KDDI au's just-announced Spring '08 collection, including a model with an e-ink display and another with a 3 inch OLED. Wowza! Note that not all of these handsets are new -- some are carryovers from the carrier's Winter '07 collection, so we won't be covering those here. Read on.
The Sharp W61SH: KDDI au gets another AQUOS-branded phone
Shield your eyes if it pains you to see the incredible kit customers of Japanese carrier KDDI au are entitled to, because we've got another doozy in the mix here. The rather wildly colored W61SH is yet another phone bearing Sharp's AQUOS branding to call out the emphasis on display goodness, featuring a 2.8 inch display with a 2000:1 contrast ratio -- perfect for all that one-seg mobile TV you'll be enjoying. Grab it in black, white, or our favorite, hot pink.[Via Mobilewhack]
KDDI au's Autumn and Winter 2007 collection
It's that time of year again -- that magical time when Japanese carriers pull out all the stops and deliver a mind-numbing swath of new models at once. KDDI au's rocking seven all-new models for its fall / winter '07 collection, perhaps most notably the Infobar 2 candybar that bubbled out of its ongoing concept design program. All told, we have entries from six manufacturers here spanning the candybar, slider, and clamshell (naturally) form factors, so it pretty much goes without saying that KDDI customers should have no trouble finding the phone of their dreams in this motherlode. Forge on for a closer look at each of the new models.
KDDI pulls a KDDI, shows entire summer lineup at once
We'd be shocked at the rate KDDI churns out new models, but let's be honest -- its domestic competitors manage to stay pretty much in lockstep, and they're all bested by the Keepin' It Real Fake machine that is mainland China. As we might expect from a massive launch on a Japanese carrier, the so-called "Collection 2007 Summer" (that's the "Summer 2007 Collection" for those not accustomed to reading phrases backwards) holds a handful of gems, including some VGA displays and 5 megapixel cams. Let's hop to it, shall we?
KDDI follows NTT DoCoMo's lead, unleashes ten phones
Yeah, that's right, NTT DoCoMo -- you're not the only carrier in town that can flex its product lineup muscle every now and again. KDDI au becomes the second Japanese carrier this week to add ten phones, a quantity most American carriers barely reach in a year's time. But we digress; leading up the pack is the "Media Skin," a clean-looking candybar with a covered keypad that began life as a KDDI design project. Meanwhile, the Aquos-branded W51SH from (you guessed it) Sharp should square up nicely with similar Sony Bravia-branded offerings for NTT, and, well... the list pretty much goes on ad nauseam. Those with a particularly strong stomach for viewing tech they can't have where they live can surf on over to KDDI's "Collection 2007 Spring" site for the full list -- meanwhile, we'll be crying ourselves to sleep.[Via Akihabara News]
Hitachi shows W43H II for KDDI au
Whew, time flies when you're having fun, eh, Hitachi? Less than four months after showing your W43H clamshell for Japan's patron saint of CDMA, KDDI au, you're rolling out its successor -- the aptly-named W43H II. Like the original, the sequel features a 1seg tuner for digital TV reception with recording, 2.6-inch QVGA display, and a 2 megapixel cam. Other hot specs include LISMO music downloading, FeliCa, and a choice of two colors: "glass black" and "ice pink." Look for the W43H II to hit the streets of Japan this week.[Via Impress Watch]
Pantech prepping W51PT for KDDI au?
What's the point in putting together a keypad that offers no tactile feedback whatsoever if it ain't a touchscreen? Lucky customers on KDDI's Japanese au network appear poised to find out, thanks to the rumored W51PT from Pantech. The machine-translated details leave us with more questions than answers, but we guess the clamshell offers a 2.4-inch QVGA display, 2.1 megapixel cam, microSD expansion, a one-seg tuner, and support for LISMO (wireless music downloads) in a 132 gram, 11.9 millimeter thick package. Your choice of white or gold, but do us a favor and try the weird keypad before you buy, mkay?
Sony Ericsson W42S to become W880 for T-Mobile?
Despite an unusually heavy flow of scoops recently, Sony Ericsson may yet (involuntarily) have at least one more rumor / surprise up its sleeves before the year's out. Remember that hot lil' W42S announced for KDDI's au network earlier this year? You know, the one with the trick knurled metal navigation knob on its bottom? Well, MobilMania noticed that the phone has popped up recently on T-Mobile's Czech site, bearing the "W880" label. No phone bearing a W880 designation has been officially announced by Sony Ericsson, meaning T-Mobile appears to have let the cat out of the bag just a little early (thanks, folks!). For the record, KDDI au is a CDMA network, meaning that the W880 would've had to undergo a metamorphosis into a GSM piece; but hey, as long as it's quad-band, we're just fine with that.[Via GSMArena, thanks Maximus]
