The number one handset manufacture in Japan, Sharp, may be facing some steep competition if the rumor about NEC getting into a three way with Hitachi and Casio are to be believed. Nikkei is reporting that Japanese publication Yomiuri Shimbun has been tipped offed that the three companies plan on merging their handset divisions as early as April 2010. This combined entitiy would give them 20% of the Japanese domestic market, which still isn’t enough to topple Sharp. At the end of the day, if these companies want to make more money, they should look at releasing their handsets to the rest of the Asian markets, and even Europe. I think I speak for mobile phone geeks everywhere when I say I would love an 8 megapixel clamshell with WVGA screen and a solar panel built in.
[Via: The Inquirer, Wireless Watch Japan]