kddi
Latest
Hitachi and Casio drop two for KDDI au
KDDI's au network is sportin' a couple of new 3G Hitachi and Casio handsets with EV-DO data now that the W43H and W43CA have dropped in Japan. The W43H (pictured above in blue) clam from Hitachi brings a single, 2.6-inch QVGA twist and fold display for viewing Japanese OneSeg mobile digital TV, a 2 megapixel auto-focus camera, MP3 player with MicroSD expansion to host your audio or record TV, and suite of apps to take advantage of that high speed data. Casio's W43CA brings pretty much the same specs but adds an external, secondary display while trimming the OneSeg tuner and 10grams of fat to boot.[Via Akihabara News]
Casio shows toned-down G'zOne for business folk
Say you're on the board of a global corporation based in Japan. Sure, you're just another suit from 9 to 5, but on the weekends it's a different story -- you do some deep-sea diving, downhill skiing... heck, maybe the occasional BASE jump. Where are you supposed to find a phone tough enough to keep ticking (while you're wrestling crocodiles, that is) without getting you fired in the boardroom with some wacky, "extreme" color scheme? Believe it or not, Casio's got your number. The G'zOne E03CA takes a cue from the W42CA's book, offering a QVGA internal and 100 x 100 display, microSD slot, EV-DO radio, and 2-megapixel cam in a beefy, water resistant package. That's where the similarity ends, though: unlike the wild W42CA, the laid-back E03CA looks more fit for the inside of a suit coat pocket than a snowboarding jacket. Businessfolk with a tendency to destroy phones can look for the latest G'zOne to drop this December on KDDI's au network in Japan.[Via I4U News]
Translation the visual way: MEDIASEEK's Camera Dictionary
Word's just in that cameraphones have real-world applications (besides tracking down the miscreant who stole yours), and Japanese firm MEDIASEEK is looking to capitalize with its Camera Dictionary utility. The software scans English words you snap and provides their Japanese translations on the fly, while links allow the user to hop online for more detailed information -- pronunciations, examples, and the like. Probably not terribly useful for reading a novel in a language you don't understand, but for translating, say, an Engadget post, this could be just the ticket. From the press release it sounds like Camera Dictionary will be available on KDDI's au network, but if they ever get around to adding a Japanese-to-English version, you can bet we'll be pestering American carriers to get on board. [Warning: PDF link]
Toyota developing integrated "carphone" with KDDI
In a move designed to foster tighter integration between cars and the cellphones that cause people to crash their cars, Toyota has just announced that it will be co-developing a handset with Japanese carrier KDDI based on an existing Toshiba model. The phone, cutely name TiMO (and obviously NOT pictured above -- if you think that's a Toshiba, you need to hit up this site a little more often), will feature Bluetooth functionality to make it compatible with Toyota's in-car navigation systems (think: on-screen caller ID and audio piped through the vehicle's speakers) as well as a dedicated OnStar-like button that drivers can trigger in an emergency. A special charger will also be part of the package, allowing the phone to dock in an armrest and give owners access to downloadable games and tunes, the latter of which will presumably be playable through the car's audio system. Next to Kyocera, Toyota is the largest shareholder in KDDI (with an 11% stake), and will offer the handsets exclusively at its 7,500 Japanese dealerships starting in October.[Via Autoblog]Update: Okay, we've snagged a picture of the real phone. Looks like a perfectly plain flip with the notable addition of a submicronic "Toyota" logo on the backside to us. Strong work, guys.
KDDI throws down endless onslaught of new phones
Bring it strong, or don't bring it at all. That's certainly our mantra here at Engadget Mobile, and KDDI seems to share our sentiment, launching not one, not two, but twelve new phones on their Japanese "au" CDMA network this week. Variety doesn't really seem to be KDDI's forte, though -- every last model rocks a clamshell form factor and roughly equivalent specs, give or take a megapixel here, FeLiCa support there. Sony Ericsson's W43S caught our eye for its nifty faux wood exterior (come on, who wouldn't want a faux wood cellphone?), while the curiously-named glossy black Toshiba "DRAPE" seems to be positioned as the high-style model of the bunch. 2- and 3-megapixel cams (some with autofocus), expansion slots, and comprehensive music support all around... yeah, there's not a lot of differentiation here, but the uniformity's good in at least one way: every last one of these 12 are blessed with QVGA primary displays.[Via Akihabara News]
Pantech, KDDI sign deal for elderly-themed handset
Three words: "crime prevention buzzer." What more do we need to say? Besides being able to scream bloody murder on command, Pantech's CDMA A1406PT for KDDI's Japanese "au" network will feature 2.4-inch QVGA internal and 1.2-inch external displays, a 1.3-megapixel shooter, and three assignable one-touch keys directly below the display. Targeted at the elderly (read: folks who aren't looking for anything too newfangled), the clamshell scores $110 million for Korea's Pantech, which is following up its A1405PT. Given that Korean phones in Japan are still a novelty, neither of these phones are bleeding-edge in any way -- but we find it kinda refreshing to not lust after a Japanese or Korean handset for once.[Via I4U News]
Qualcomm, KDDI, manufacturers to collaborate on OS
Symbian, Windows Mobile, ALP, and NTT DoCoMo's Linux consortium apparently aren't enough, and KDDI's thinking there's room for at least one more mobile platform in the world. The Japanese carrier has rounded up Qualcomm, Sanyo, and Toshiba to get cracking on a brand new OS with initial commercial availability coming toward the end of 2007. The platform, which KDDI would presumably like to eventually drop on most or all of its models, will include the operating system itself plus software for messaging, "wireless applications," and "running cameras." We reckon these folks' efforts would be better spent hooking up with NTT DoCoMo on their platform, but corporate egos being what they are -- well, let's just say we don't see KDDI jumping on that bandwagon any time soon.[Via The Register]
Sanyo recalls whopping 500,000 phones
Sketchy batteries doing bad things to you and your phone are nothing new. Sanyo has set an interesting new precedent, however, turning a good battery bad with software. Some half million units of their W32SA clamshell for KDDI's network are being sent home for faulty software that can prevent the battery from fully charging. That, in itself, isn't too scary -- but here's the twilight-zone part of it: there have been documented cases where the batteries "have cracked and become deformed." From some faulty software, people, written by the US' favorite cellphone manufacturer, no less. Happily, afflicted handsets can be flashed at the local KDDI shop, but our paranoia is getting the best of us here; could rogue KDDI employees send bogus OTA firmware updates to grenade the phone in your pocket?
Getting to know the Sony Ericsson W42S
Several days ago we gave you a heads-up on Japan's first Sony Ericsson Walkman phone, the W42S, coming to you courtesy of KDDI. Now we're getting a torrent of shots of this bad boy in the wild. The mechanical control wheel arguably gives the CDMA W42S a more legitimate claim to be music-oriented than any Walkman phone before it, while LISMO integration and 3G data don't hurt, either. More eye candy after the break.
7 new phones from KDDI
Japan's second largest telcoms operator and largest 3G operator KDDI is set to launch no less than seven new phones in June, including a Walkman phone from Sony Ericsson (it's the pink one on top). The Walkman W42S has 1GB of memory and promises 30 hours of music playback, with users able to connect to KDDI's "Listen Mobile Service" (LISMO) to download songs. Also announced was the Casio G'zOne W42CA, another of Casio's waterproof phones, this one featuring a high-speed data communication module. Additional deets include a 2 megapixel camera, 2.5-inch 65k color display, 50MB built-in memory, and a microSD slot for expansion. Other phones announced include the Toshiba W44T with Bluetooth and 1GB of memory which you can also load up with music from LISMO, the Sanyo W33SA II featuring EZ television and EZ fm service, the Kyocera W42K (also with EZ television support), the retro-styled Hitachi W42H, and the slimline Kyocera A5521K.
Sony Ericsson's W42S 3G Walkman phone for Japan
We've been feeling the Walkman love from Sony Ericsson for what constitutes forever on a tech timeline. Oddly, Japan is only now getting their first taste of these little musicphones with the newly announced W42S. However, don't feel sorry for our former tech overlords just yet, the W42S packs in a cool 1GB of internal memory which can be supplemented with up to 4GB of Memory Stick Pro DUO expansion and sports a power saving mode allowing up to 30 hours of music playback. This 3G (CDMA2000) slider also features a 1.3 megapixel cam, a 2.2-inch 262k color QVGA LCD, FM radio, an EPG to keep you hip to the TV schedule, and a feast of dedicated player controls including a new mechanical wheel unique to Walkman phone navigation. And by partnering with KDDI, owners can snag music over-the-air via the 5 million downloads per month strong LISMO music service. No price announced but "local media" is reporting that this musicphone will fetch $181 (with contract and telco rights to your vital organs we presume) when these drop in late June. Click on for a few hands-on pics.[Via Impress Watch]
AU Toshiba LISMO W43T with 3D GPS
You'll never get lost in Japan if you have the LISMO (for Listen Mobile Terminal, whatevs) W43T from AU. The phone, in addition to offering a choice of 3 colors (what, only three?), a 3 megapixel camera and external music controls, also has a built-in 3D GPS program called 3D Navi. The GPS tool is designed for pedestrians, something sure to be a boon in Japan's densely packed cities. The 3D graphics include an icon of a person walking down the sidewalk, and includes graphical indicators of crosswalks and other pedestrian-friendly landmarks. It also has voice prompts, which is a relief, since if it didn't we could easily envision swarms of walkers hunched over their screens, careening madly into each other on the sidewalks of Tokyo.
Sanyo's new W41SA flip phone scans handwriting
We can't say this new handwriting scanner that Sanyo is including in their new W41SA will revolutionize the industry, but it is kind of neat. Pretty much you just take a picture of some writing and the phone blocks out everything else and overlays the text on a picture. Yeah, not exactly monumental, but an interesting feature, and a good compliment to the 2.3-inch QVGA LCD and 1.3 megapixel camera. The phone also rocks the EV-DO, FM, and miniSD to keep things interesting. They top it all off with TV remote functionality, but Sanyo still keeps things slim at 0.8-inches. The phone is available now through KDDI in Japan.
