NTT DoCoMo Inc. is introducing about 20 new cell phones and seven smartphones for the winter 2010 and spring 2011 seasons, including Japan's first handset with 3-D capability.
The company is expanding its product lineup with sleek new models to try to stimulate consumer buying appetite and win in competition with Apple's iPhone, sold in Japan by Softbank Mobile Corp.
A new Sharp Corp. smartphone running on Google Inc.'s Android operating system will enable users to see 3-D images without special glasses.
- Yodobashi Camera Multimedia Akiba outlet in Tokyo's Akihabara district: DoCoMo will bolster its smartphone marketing operations.
Other new cell phones in the pipeline will have upgraded features including being water- and shockproof in line with U.S. military standards. They are being developed by NEC Casio Mobile Communications Ltd., a joint venture between NEC Corp, Casio Computer Co. and Hitachi Ltd. . Casio technology used in its G-Shock brand watches will be applied to these new models.
DoCoMo will also release a touchscreen model with a Japanese cypress exterior in an attempt to win over environmentally conscious customers.
According to the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association, domestic cell-phone shipments totaled some 31 million units in fiscal 2009, about 60% of their peak in 2000.
Despite sluggish demand, Softbank continues to expand the number of iPhone subscribers.
KDDI Corp., which provides the au cell phone service, is also stepping up product development and will debut a smartphone with e-wallet functions in late November.
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