The Japanese Cellphones – To advanced for their good

Posted by Diogo Caldeira Pires
September 12, 2009

I know that I’ve been writing a lot about cellphones and technologies, but I read an article about the japanese cellphones and I got intrigued.

The japanese are way ahead of any cellphone company in the world, they were leaders in the second and third generation cellphones and they still are in front of the innovation pack.

In 1999 they could already read their emails on cells, photos in 2000, full track music download in 2002, electronic payments in 2004 and TV receptor in 2005… just to say some!

So my question is how can’t I have one? And when?

Where is the trick part, their cellphones can’t work in our countries, they are to advanced and their brands haven’t made it out of their own turf. And if you’re thinking in Sony Ericsson, forget it, it’s not 100% japanese.

But this made the Japanese a little cranky, how can they have the best and most advanced cells in the market and not make it in the fertile American and European market?

Luckily they are working on the answer to that and they are taking the example of the Iphone as a path to follow. NEC, Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba and Fujitsu are preparing to come out of the Japonese market and this time to make an impact, a lasting impact. Some analysts event say that this is their last effort to do so and if they can’t do it they should close their international ambitions.

In my opinion they have to resolve some problems between what the Japanese developers consider a cellphone and what the Americans and Europeans think. In Japan the cellphone although it has a very advanced hardware the software is still very primitive. Even their interface with computers is difficult or nonexistent because most Japanese use their cellphone as computers. Also, because of their hardware the cellphones are a little big and all are shell models.

I believe that most of the japanese companies can re-enter the market, they have two roads. Or they can, in the beginning, downgrade their cellphones, less innovations and gadgets. And after getting some grip start to launch new cellphones with the right prerequisites for these markets. So, slowly growing and with the pace of the market. Or they can just develop a highly developed cellphone with all the gadgets and innovations and hope that the americans and europeans will catch allow. What they can’t do is to export their existing cellphones!!!

Either way, we are going to hear from them in the future!!!

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  • Innovations galore. The most important aspect is to be environment-friendly in all products being manufactured. Progress is sweeter if its not degrading our world.
  • great stuff
  • Even their interface with computers is difficult or nonexistent because most Japanese use their cellphone as computers. Also, because of their hardware the cellphones are a little big and all are shell models.
  • very pleasure to visit this site. nice post. thanks for sharing.
  • Yes, indeed. They are well advanced in technology and their products are mostly displayed and sold only in their country. Japan was proven to be one of the most successful countries and their people are all hard working and cooperative with every law they have.How about samsung and motorola? Aren't they Japanese products? Sony Ericson is most commonly used cellphone in our country for the fact that it has good cameras shots.
  • Having lived in Japan for five years and used Toshiba and NEC phones, as well as been a subscriber to both Vodafone (now Softbank) and NTT DoCoMo, I am convinced that the Japanese model cannot exist outside of Japan. I don't think it could would in Taiwan or Korea either. If you need proof that the model won't work, look at FOMA. It was a great success in Japan, but NTT DoCoMo has all but retreated from the EU markets with their FOMA network technology and applications.

    Here is a list of things that I'd like to see supported by Japanese phones:
    - Bluetooth
    - Sync with industry-standard PIM applications on PCs and Macs
    - 802.11 connectivity
    - Accessories like bluetooth keyboards and what not
    - Applications that do not require a constant connection over the air interface

    Nokia S60, iPhone and Windows Mobile devices are the only ones capable of the above. Sure, they do not have things like tv tuners or a digital money transceiver. As for paying for things with my phone......it seemed like a neat idea, but since it wasn't tied to a credit system, I had to manually "top-up" the account and I found it easier to just pay with cash rather than getting stuck with not enough balance at the register or train platform. Yet somehow Japanese operators do not allow prepaid for their service??? Hmmm.....

    NEC, Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba and Fujitsu cannot even gain success in China and SE Asia. Korean phones from LG and Samsung are much more advanced and widely accepted in Asia versus Japanese phones. In Spring China decided that it would be allocating spectrum for UMTS, EVDO and TSCDMA. Japan's XGPHS, which industry analysts thought would get an allocation too, was left out and will probably not make it outside of Japan's borders.

    As a result, I don't think NEC, Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba and Fujitsu will ever try to launch abroad. They know they cannot compete. Sure, they are thin, sleek and full of fancy hardware. But because they all use a modified iTRON OS that has no USB or bluetooth stack, they are essentially stuck with phones that are all hardware and no software. And I doubt we'll see the day when they try to embrace foreign OS technology...it would cut too much into their profits.

    Personally I'm quite happy to see Nokia, Palm, RIM, Apple, and Windows Mobile battle it out, improving and evolving. I like my phone being more than an MMS terminal and Java gaming machine!!!
  • Japanese are pretty famous for their technology and of course for t heir rich culture, well Japan had proven that it is one of the most successful country.
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