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Go-anywhere cellphones at home on the beach and in the bathroom
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Things are pretty different here in Nippon; take cellphones — unlike in the GSM markets, Japanese carriers compete with each other mainly through handset features co-developed with the manufacturers, giving the networks massive power and influence. On that front KDDI has leveraged its power over the makers to take the lead with its so-called design keitai on the au network. Seeing this, DoCoMo is fighting back and trying to win market share in the youth market. Now, for the first time in years, DoCoMo’s handsets are looking attractive to the younger set.

Most significant in the new lineup is a 3G FOMA phone made by Sony Ericsson — the SO902iWP, which is based on the SO902i before it. Besides having all the latest gadgets, the phone is waterproof up to 1m, making it suitable for the great outdoors as well as that great graveyard of mobile phones, the restroom. Accidental toilet dunkings have become such a problem here that Japanese carriers have introduced a water-sensitive indicator in phones that changes color when they take a swim.

This immediately cut the networks’ losses incurred when folk dried off their keitai and returned them, denying all knowledge of the mishap. With the advent of waterproofing, dropping a phone like the SO902iWP in the bowl at least removes simple water from the cleanup equation.

Back at KDDI a new line of “toughness’” phones has just been launched modeled after the popular Casio candy bar models from 2001 and the G-Shock wristwatch. These phones are also waterproof and work with the LISMO music service we looked at a few weeks ago, so could also do well.

What about the third carrier in Japan? The challenge for Vodafone/Softbank is to target the youth segment with cool phones like their competitors are managing. Clearly, this is a difficult task after Vodafone spent years pushing its global marketing plan featuring boring phones with mostly low specs. Handset makers will not be too eager to develop special phones for a carrier with a decreasing market share.

— Arjen van Blokland

09:06 AM Mark Hiratsuka • Permalink
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