Hasta La Gadget!

At today’s 2013 summer new collection press conference, au announced the new “HTC J One” smartphone, to be released around early June.

“HTC J One” is the Japanese version of Taiwanese company, HTC’s global model “HTC One”. It is slick and smooth “Full metal” aluminum and has a rounded back, making it easier to hold.

Compared with regular smartphones, its 13 million pixel camera has a 300% increased uptake of light and a 50% reduction of noise.  Its new “HTC Zoe” camera mode can take 20 photos in 4 seconds and can take 3 seconds of full HD video at the same time, allowing you to capture the best possible image.

There are Dual Front Speakers built-in in giving the “HTC J One” impressive, real sound.

As a smart phone accessory, au offers “HTC J One mini” that can be a cordless handset of the “HTC J One”, able to be paired by NFC or Bluetooth and is available for ¥9,800. You can also trigger the camera shutter or check messages with “HTC J One mini”. A 6,000mAh large capacity portable charger “HTC Battery Bar” will also be available (¥9,000).

Model: HTV J One HTL22
Release date: After early June
OS: Android 4.1
Size: 69 x 138 x 10.5mm
Weight: 157g
Display: 4.7inch Super LCD3 FHD
Battery: 2,300mAh
Color: White metal , Black metal
Compliant with: Bluetooth, One-seg, Wi-Fi, Tethering, au Smart Pass, Wallet phone, 4G LTE, NFC, Infrared data communication

Popular young actress Ayame Goriki and current world-wide famous Japanese pop singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu joined the event, brightening up the venue…

The au 2013 summer new collection press conference took place at Shibuya Excel (Cerulean) Tokyu Hotel in Shibuya, Tokyo.

Today, NTT Docomo’s 2013 “Summer Collection” new product press conference took place at Bellesalle Shiodome in Tokyo and they revealed 11 models of new smart phones, 1 tablet and 2 new colors of their 2 existing mobile phones.

During today’s press conference, CEO Kaoru Kato emphasized several times that Sony’s “XPERIA A SO-04E” and Samsung’s “GALAXY S4 SC-04E” are the top two devices of the 2013 Summer Collection. Docomo has set a “Special Price” for these 2 models based on users who get 2 year contracts. If you apply to both “Hajimete Smaho Wari (first smartphone discount)” and “Arigatou 10-nen Sumaho Wari (discount for those who has have more than 10 years contract with Docomo)”, an extra 20,000 yen will be discounted, and regarding “XPERIA A SO-04E”, the price will become about 5,000 yen.

I will highlight both the “XPERIA A SO-04E” and “GALAXY S4 SC-04E” in posts to follow.

The number of NTT Docomo smartphone users increased from 10 million users in 2011 up to 18.7 million users in 2012. At today’s press conference, there was no announcement for new mobile phone models (they call their mobile phone “iMode keitai”) giving us the clear impression that the company is focusing primarily on smartphones. To support that, in exchange of new iMode keitai models, they introduced 2 models of smart phones featuring “Docomo Simple UI” that keeps iMode keitai’s usability and allows smartphone “beginners” to make full use of it. They are MEDIAS N-06R and ELUGA P P-03E.

Other features of Docomo’s 2013 Summer New Smart phones and Tablet:
***************************************************************
1) All models have a battery bigger than 2,000mAh that can run the device more than 45 hours.
– 5 of 10 new smart phone models have a battery bigger than 2,500mAh.
– “ARROWS NX F-06E” has a 3,020mAh battery that is the biggest among smartphones. The battery life is more than 60 hours.

2) Some models are compatible with the “Hover” function.
– “Hover” allows you to control a smartphone without touching the screen.
– Compliant models: ELUGA P P-03E, GALAXY S4 SC-04E, AQUOS PHONE ZETA SH-06E, ARROWS NX F-06E

3) All the models are compatible with “Moba-cas” that broadcasts NOTTV. New function for Recording NOTTV is added.

4) Some models can receive the high-resolution Full Seg terrestrial digital broadcasting.
– Compliant models: ARROWS NX F-06E, AQUOS PAD SH-08E

5) Xi Network has been expanded and speeded up.
***************************************************************

On hand to give their thoughts about Docomo’s new Summer lineup were famous “talento”:
– Ken Watanabe
– Satomi Ishihara
– Tori Matsuzaka
– Ai Hashimoto