Disqus
If you’re like me, you’re always eagerly waiting for the new product announcements coming from the leading Japanese mobile operators. They have the best phones in the world and it’s unfortunate that we don’t see many of those devices hitting markets outside of Japan.
However, the advanced functionalities of Japanese phones are also an obstacle to the domestic handset makers. Instead of creating a single, universal platform for the whole world, they make two versions – an advanced one for the domestic market and a simple one for the rest of the world. Two versions involve additional costs, and it’s getting harder and harder for companies like Panasonic, Fujitsu and Sharp to compete in the global handset market.
Enter DoCoMo. The leading mobile operator in the “Land of the rising Sun” wants to remove some of the functions from the handsets they sell to prepare itself for its global plans, and help handset makers along the way. Things like i-mode, Internet connection services, and an integrated circuit card service that enables mobile phones to be used for electronic payments (Felica) may not be found in some future phones wearing the DoCoMo mark. Moreover, these “crippled” phones may actually be introduced to the Japanese market and not just other Asian markets where DoCoMo has its interests. Needless to say, other Japanese carriers, KDDI and SoftBank, may follow the suit… The world is falling apart, I’m telling ya’. 
[Via: ContentAgenda]
About The Author
Dusan Belic
Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence" is what he's most excited about, and writing about it is the next logical thing to do. He thinks that using a smartphone is what everyone who cares about their time should do. In addition to his interests in mobile phones, Dusan also loves to experiment with the latest web and mobile 2.0 services. The idea of accessing and managing your information from any device no matter where you are simply amazes him. Whether it's an online to-do list, note taking service or a video sharing social network, he's there to try it out. He admits though, he's still searching for the ultimate web-based organizational tool, which "sings" perfectly with the mobile PIM application. Dusan used to run SymbianWatch.com which later became part of IntoMobile. He lives in Serbia, South-East Europe, from where he edits the site on a daily basis.
