If Japan’s Softbank wants to take over Sprint Nextel, it could be in part because the Japanese carrier wants access to more cutting edge devices like the ones unveiled today by its biggest rival, NTT DoCoMo. Today Japan’s largest carrier announced nine new smartphones, plus a tablet, a photo panel, a mobile Wi-Fi router and four feature phones. The company says the new devices will start to hit the market in November.
All nine of the new smartphones are compatible with NTT DoCoMo’s LTE network, and two of them are Android 4.1 phones (the rest run are Android 4.0). The top-of-the-line models are two Samsung Galaxy phones, a Galaxy Note II with a 5.5-inch display and a Galaxy S III with a 4.8-inch display. Both of these Android 4.1 devices are powered by Samsung’s Exynos 4412 1.6 GHz quad-core processor.
NTT DOCOMO’s new tablet is called the Arrow and will not launch until December. It is an Android 4.0 tablet with a 10.1-inch display and a Tegra 1.7 GHz quad-core processor. The Arrow tablet is made by Fujitsu, which says the device is waterproof and “dustproof.” Fujitsu is also the maker of two of NTT DoCoMo’s new smartphones.
NTT DOCOMO has reached out to two American companies to create co-branded phones that feature exclusive content. The company has deals with Disney and designer Jill Stuart, as well as with the producer of One Piece, a popular Japanese comic
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