Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. is developing a wearable, wrist watch-size Personal Handyphone System telephone it hopes to bring to market in time for the 1998 Winter Olympics to be held in Japan.
Weighing just 70 grams including the battery, the phone relies on voice recognition dialing technology to achieve the small form factor.
“The hurdle to greater compactness has always been the need for buttons to operate the phone,” NTT said. “Since buttons are pressed with fingers, their minimum size and spacing are basically fixed.”
With voice dialing, the user either speaks a number or the name of someone whose number has been prerecorded. Voice recognition technology then transforms the vocal instruction into a telephone number.
NTT’s prototype operates with a built-in microphone and loudspeaker (or an earphone if preferred). The company said the microphone and speaker can be located closely together thanks to its development of a sophisticated anti-“howling” technology.
Because of the advanced technologies employed, NTT said existing PHS networks will have to be modified to accommodate the new phone. Plans call for the phone to be available commercially by the end of 1997. The company said it is continuing to develop a more compact, higher-density antenna and battery as well as greater functionality in the phone.
NTT estimates the new phone will be only slightly more expensive than currently available PHS phones but about half the size.
Introduced one year ago, Japan’s PHS networks reportedly gained 2.5 million subscribers by the end of May. Companies offering the service are organized into three groups: DDI Pocket Telephone group, NTT Personal Communications Network group and the Astel group. All three have been slashing prices to gain customers.
