NTT Docomo officially announces 'Xperia arc', 'MEDIAS' and 'Optimus Pad' as Spring 2011 model

NTT DoCoMo announced"New Model Presentation Spring 2011 Spring"Was held today.

Already released overseas as "Xperia (SO - 01B)" successor model "Xperia arc"And NEC Casio was reported as being released by CasioUltra thin smartphone called "MEDIAS (media)"In addition to that, the first Android 3.0 tablet "Optimus Pad" in Japan is officially announced.

Details are as below.
It was announced that three models of MEDIAS, Xperia arc, Optimus Pad will be released all at once in March.

NEC Casio's world's thinnest Android smartphone "MEDIAS" was announced.

The world's thinnest body of only 7.7 mm, NEC Casio's first Android smart phone "MEDIAS (N-04C)" Super quick hit photo review


Next, Sony Ericsson's "Xperia arc" appeared.

New Xperia with pink added "Xperia arc (SO - 01C)" haste photo review


And the domestic first Android 3.0 tablet "Optimus Pad" is also released.

Japan's first Android 3.0 tablet "Optimus Pad (L-06C)" haste photo review


The shock announcement was made in the future that "MEDIAS" of waterproof model and "XPERIA" corresponding to One Seg · Osaifu-Keitai function appeared.

NTT DoCoMo will further release "New XPERIA" and "New MEDIAS" in the future, 1 seg correspondence and waterproof model also


It is also revealed that more than 20 smartphones will be released in FY2011.

NTT DoCoMo launches more than 20 smartphones in 2011


Movie review of each model.

NTT DoCoMo's "Optimus Pad (L-06C)" movie review, Japan's first Android 3.0 tablet


New Xperia 'Xperia arc (SO - 01C)' Movie Review, Sophisticated with Sony 's Technology


World's thinnest smart phone "MEDIAS" movie review, a model that restrained the basic by millet movement


Furthermore, as a service expansion for smartphones, we will be able to pay Android Market content fee together with DoCoMo's monthly mobile phone fee to sp-mode compatible Android smartphone from late March 2011. In addition to phone book backup function , Providing position information utilizing base station data, handling sp-mode data plan, "BeeTV" smartphone support, "e-triesat" application will be announced to be provided.

Press release: 3 new models of docomo smartphone developed | Notice | NTT DoCoMo

Questions and answers made at the venue are as follows.

Mobile Watch Sekiguchi:
At the end of each explanation of this product, MEDIAS was said to be waterproof compatible in the future, Xperia arc is scheduled to respond to Osaifu-Keitai, can you give us details?

NTT DoCoMo President Takahashi Yamada:
For MEDIAS, we are planning to provide waterproofing function, Xperia arc about wallet function etc. We are working on development to be able to sell in summer model.

Sekiguchi:
About Xperia etc, the announcement was announced about variation development in Spain the other day, will such models be added in the future?

Yamada:
I do not give out everything that I got overseas, but I would like to do some of them. However, it is not the final decision at present.

Free Kamio:
Although it was additionally announced in the model for the spring selling this spring, until now, the spring sales practice of March and May has been defined as the time when a new model of feature phone can be sold, but how about the demand of smartphone Thinking?

Yamada:
From around November last year, interest in smartphones has risen at a stretch, and many people have bought it. Until now, feature phones were the subject, but one of the reasons was that the freshman was in charge of buying a cell phone. Among those who marketed, people gradually increasingly want to have a smartphone for high school students.

Again, not the feature phones up to now but also the smartphone goes to the smartphone, and 3 to 40% will become a smartphone. There were many hopes that boys high school students want to have a smartphone. 3 to 50% is a spring shopping battle. Analyzing the sales results in January that interests for smartphones and tablets for a long time, 35 to 40% of women are buying smartphones. 15% of those who bought a smartphone for those over 50 years old. Age and sex have also been exceeded.

NHK Lin:
Three models for smartphone spring, but how many models are studied this year through year, in year or year? The way of thinking about SIM lock free, from what type of model to?

Yamada:
Percentage of smartphones. We are seeing the summer model to some extent, the winter model is still in doubt. As a major principle of initiatives, I would like to make the number of smartphs and features the same in fiscal 2011. There are 40 to 50 models a year, but I think that this year as well. I think that you should think that more than half of them are smartphones.

For SIM lock free models to be released from April, customers will purchase software incorporating SIM unlocking. If you bring it to docomo Shop and say "Please remove SIM lock", we will explain the explanation and process it. The target model is the whole model to be newly released after April.

Nihon Keizai Shimbun Watanabe:
Although it is said that everything will be launched in March, why is there a reason to be quite ahead of schedule? SIM lock Please let me know if you tried not to wear it from April.

Yamada:
I'd love to have a good smartphone as soon as possible. Even if it comes out with summer models at least, May, if normal, June. Because the heating to the customer to smash has come up, it is because of the desire to put out good ones as soon as possible.

Newsweek Japan version Hosaka:
The usefulness to business support, the evolution from other smartphones?

Yamada:
The tablet terminal is the easiest to use in the business version. We recommend solutions to customers by attaching solutions to corporate relationships, synchronizing with systems in the company or adding security. Tablet is the best fit for corporate relations. Of course not to mention a smartphone, as for the ranking, the tab is on top

Nikkei PC Kaneko:
Regarding SIM-free, most models were feature phones at the time of discussion, but as this only became a smartphone, meaning will change between releasing SIM lock on feature phone and unlocking SIM on smartphone, What is the meaning of the release in April here?

Yamada:
Originally we decided to cancel the SIM lock by putting it on terminals after April as a convenience to our customers. Since the origin is improvement in convenience, I think that it is the same in both feature and smartphone. The number of smartphones will increase from now on, and there will be plenty of smartphones in summer, but I'd like to put out the SIM lock-free feature.

Asahi Newspaper:
Although I would like to look at the operation side, SoftBank says "When you release SIM lock, the price of the terminal rises by 4 to 50 thousand", but what about this part? Does it operate so that it can not be canceled for a certain period of time

Yamada:
We are "monthly support" which we introduce from March 15, and if 60 thousand smartphones are applied, monthly discounts are applied and it becomes possible to buy it with real number 30 thousand. If you have a smartphone, the discount will continue as it is, but you will not be able to receive a discount if you cancel SIM lock.

SIM I believe the terminal will not be expensive as it is lock-free. I think that there is no problem because I will buy it on monthly support. There are no plans to set any particular limitations.

Overseas Media:
It is reported that buy-hold is occurring next week on Tuesday Apple expects iPad 2 to be announced. How much can you share with GALAXY Tab or Optimus Pad? Will it make an exclusive partnership with Samsung etc. without an Apple terminal?

Yamada:
Naturally I do not understand iPad 2 naturally, but I have competed with sales on iPad and GALAXY Tab. Optimus is a visual entertainment machine. How do you use it for customers? I won, I did not lose, but how can I use it?

About LG and Samsung, we want to develop Android OS as the basis. Because SP mode, One Seg and Osaifu-Keitai can also be made, because it is open OS, touch OS. I always said that Apple's terminal did not give up, but I'd like to keep the development main on Android.

· Free Writer:
Optimus is resistant to becoming a smartphone category even though it does not support voice calls, but what do you think?

Yamada:
Because it is an Android tablet, I think it is a smart phone in a big sense.

2011 NEW MODEL | NTT DoCoMo