NTT Docomo creates display with touch panels on both sides

NTT Docomo has developed an experimental display with touch panels on both the front and back, hoping to use it for games or other applications in the future.

An NTT Docomo representative said, “We have offered a new idea for the operation of touch panels, which have widely spread because of smartphones.”

The display uses an organic electroluminescence screen, and according to NTT Docomo, it is the first in the world to be operable from both sides, transparent, and capable of displaying color. However, because the screen is transparent, it has the downside of being hard to see outdoors. The company says that technological work is needed before the display is practical.

[Source here]

Sony Xperia GX and SX smartphones docomo summer 2012

Xperia GX SO-04D

“First, let me show you the Xperia GX. The G in GX stands for Great, because this model gives you a great new experience. The design is based on an arc, as this has been popular before. So we’ve pursued a very slim, curved form, while also providing a 4.7-inch screen and supporting the Xi LTE service.”

“A TV dock is also available for the Xperia GX. Some previous smartphones have been connectable to TVs, but because this one supports Xi, it works very fast, even when you’re looking at the browser like this. You can connect a keyboard and mouse to the smartphone using Bluetooth, so you can use it with any kind of TV.”

Xperia SX SO-05D

“Our second model is the Xperia SX. Our aim with the SX is to offer a smart, stylish model. This is the world’s smallest smartphone with Xi. As it is aimed at the Japanese market, it supports infrared connection, mobile TV, and the mobile wallet service. The SX is mainly intended for women, but we’ve designed the color schemes with men in mind as well, they include black and eye-catching orange.”

 [Source here]

Docomo unveils 19 new mobile devices

NTT Docomo has unveiled its 2012 summer lineup of 19 models for launch in or after June, including 16 smartphones, a tablet and a mobile phone for children as well as a mobile Wi-Fi router, many of which will be compatible with Docomo’s Xi (read “Crossy”) LTE mobile service.

Docomo said its new smartphone and tablet lineup, which covers an exceptionally broad range of specifications, is designed to satisfy diverse needs at a time when smart devices are becoming an increasingly essential and ubiquitous part of daily life.

For the first time, for example, the Raku-Raku PHONE series of simplified models offers a touch-screen smartphone that mimics the sensation of pressing actual keys. Users less experienced in touch screen operations are expected to welcome the familiar feel of this newest model in Docomo’s series of easy-to-see, easy-to-hear and easy-to-use mobile devices. Also for the first time, users of this phone may subscribe to the “Raku-Raku Pake-hodai” flat-rate packet service.

Docomo also has launched a number of initiatives for enhanced security and customer support to ensure that all smartphone and tablet models in the summer 2012 lineup can be used with peace of mind.

Key features of the new lineup of smartphones and tablet are as follow:

—All models run on Android 4.0.
—All eight “NEXT” series smartphones, three “with” series smartphones and the lineup’s slim, stylish W-Fi router are compatible with Docomo’s Xi LTE service for extra-fast access and navigation.
—Most of the devices are compatible with the updated docomo Anshin Scan service, which features a new alarm system warning users about fraudulent sites for extra-safe browsing, in addition to its existing virus scan feature.
—All models are expected to be compatible with Smartphone Anshin Remote Support, a call center that can send easy-to-follow prompts to the user’s screen to show them how to set up and operate their devices.
—Most models can access Sumaho Onayami Support Menu, a portal of handy, flowchart-style resources for smartphone troubleshooting, fun tips about device usage, terminology and introductions to useful content.
—Potent processing power, including one model with a quad-core CPU and 12 models with dual-core CPUs for enjoying rich applications and high-resolution videos and games on the high-speed Xi network.
—Smartphone sizes to suit all needs, from smaller models that fit snugly in one’s palm to large 5-inch screens for easy viewing of e-books and similar content.
—Four smartphones and the tablet are compatible with NOTTV, a V-high multimedia broadcasting service.
—Two collaboration smartphones, one featuring the fashion brand ANTEPRIMA and the other the manga comic series JOJO, with exclusive content preinstalled.
—Many models offer highly in-demand features such as water resistance, NFC, infrared communications and One-Seg terrestrial digital broadcasting.
—Six models are expected to feature the preinstalled “Twonky Beam” app, which allows users to enjoy recorded digital terrestrial contents and others on their smartphones, as well as wirelessly transmitting browsed content such as videos, images or music to large-screen televisions or audio systems.

[Source here]

Mixi Denies Nikkei Report that CEO Wants to Sell 55% Stake

There’s much discussion going on today about a Nikkei Business Daily report that says Mixi’s founder and CEO, Kenji Kasahara, is considering selling his 55 percent stake in the company. Mixi was very quick to issue a response on on its website, saying that it the report that Mixi was considering selling itself is not true.

It should be noted that Nikkei Business Daily is somewhat hit-and-miss, serving up more than a few juicy rumors that have proven not to pan out, such as the rumor last December of a 4G LTE iPhone coming to Docomo. But given the fact that Mixi has been floundering over the past year.

Indeed, as many as 44 percent of its users now could be so-called ‘ghost users’ who don’t log even log in once a month, as you can see in the chart below from news.livedoor.com:

The Nikkei report says that mobile gaming companies GREE and DeNA are to make bids for the CEO’s stake. Serkan Toto has a good rundown of the situation over on his blog, and comments on this possibility:

What’s interesting for both companies is that Mixi is clearly a mobile social network, as over 80 percent of their roughly 30 billion page views come through mobile devices. Another example: the number of smartphone shot up from 3.8 million in July last year to over 7 million in March 2012. Games on Mixi, however, have been a disappointment, financially speaking.

Serkan also notes that Facebook would be unlikely to be interested in Mixi, and we agree given that Zuckerberg and company don’t appear to be having difficulty building a user base in Japan.

While there might not be anything to this particular report, the fact remains that Mixi has been more or less treading water for a year. And as more successful social juggernauts continue to float on by, it only makes sense that Mixi make a move soon or else begin to sink.

[Source here]

NTT annual profit drops 8.2%

Japan’s biggest telecom firm NTT Corp said Friday that annual profit dipped 8.2%, but added that it expects a sharp rebound this year partly due to strong domestic smartphone sales.

The former monopoly said its net profit for the fiscal year through March fell to 467.70 billion yen from 509.63 billion yen, mainly due to tax changes.

Operating profit rose 0.7% to 1.22 trillion yen, while sales were up 2% at 10.51 trillion yen.

The firm said it expected its profit in the current fiscal year would soar more than 20% to 575 billion yen as it expands its data and business solutions activity.

NTT, whose business includes fixed-line and mobile phones, said it has also made foreign acquisitions “with the aim of expanding the lineup of (company) services and gaining personnel with the expertise and know-how of business operations.”

NTT is the parent company of several major Japanese firms, including top mobile operator NTT DoCoMo.

[Source here]