Japan’s biggest mobile phone operator, NTT DoCoMo, has unveiled a raft of new phones – 19 in all – along with a 3G-capable digital photo frame. The new lineup includes the waterproof F-02B (complete with snap-on perfume holder), four models packing a 12.2-megapixel camera and the world’s first phone with a separable two-module body.
The new lineup covers the company’s four main series of FOMA 3G handsets – the docomo STYLE series, docomo PRIME series, docomo SMART series and docomo PRO series.
The STYLE series is aimed at fashionistas who consider their phone a fashion item as well as a communication device. No less than ten new handsets have been added to the STYLE line with models including the waterproof F-02B, which includes a snap-on perfume holder, the SH-05B that was designed by models from Seventeen magazine, and the compact L-03B, which features a trilingual (Japanese/English/Korean) interface.
The multimedia friendly PRIME series sees the addition of five new models. The F-01B, F-04B, N-02B and SH-01B models all feature a 12.2-megapixel camera. The F-01B is also waterproof, while the F-04B has a separable two-module body that allows screen to be detached from the keyboard (though we're not quite clear on what benefits this brings at this stage). Meanwhile, the P-01B boasts a keypad that converts into a touchpad.
The SMART series gains two new models. The F-03B, which is a slim, waterproof phone that also sports a 12.2-megapixel camera, and the P-03B, which also features a slim design and boasts one of the longest battery lives among FOMA models of 720 hours 3G standby time and 230 minutes 3G talk time.
Aimed at the road warrior the PRO series also sees the addition of two new models. The SC-01B, a Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone featuring a touchscreen and QWERTY keypad, and the SH-03B, which also features a QWERTY keypad as well as a 3.7-inch touchscreen.
The lone digital photo frame announced is the Otayori Photo Panel 02, which is DoCoMo’s second model digital photo frame with 3G wireless connectivity released for use with the company’s Otayori Photo Service. It features a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels and measures roughly 177 x 263 mm (6.9 x 10.3-inches).
NTT DoCoMo will release the Otayori Photo Panel 02 sometime around the New Year, while the new phones will see staggered releases between now and April 2010.
