TOKYO-NTT DoCoMo Inc. announced that it has developed a wristwatch-type PHS terminal. The product will hit the market in April at the earliest, Japan’s largest mobile operator said.
The initial shipment will be limited to 5,000 units and will be distributed exclusively via the Internet home page, http://www.wristomo.com/.
NTT Corp., the parent company of NTT DoCoMo, had developed a prototype of a wristwatch terminal several years ago. However, it has not launched commercial sales of the product since the product was not user friendly.
The newly developed wristwatch PHS device by NTT DoCoMo has addressed the usability problem. It is shaped like an ordinary wristwatch and operates like a normal watch, and when a user makes or receives a call, it opens into the shape of a PHS handset.
The handset is 171.5 by 40.4 by 18.5 millimeters and weighs 113 grams. The talking time is 120 minutes, and the waiting time is 200 hours. The listing price has not yet been decided, however, NTT DoCoMo said it might be less than 50,000 yen (US$418) per unit.
In other news, DoCoMo reportedly plans to launch a mobile phone with location capability based on global positioning system technology, according to Reuters.
