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Japanese Cell Phones Offer a Glimpse of the Future 313

Posted by timothy from the sounds-unuseful dept.
Dynamoo writes "Vodafone K.K. have announced a new range of phones, available exclusively in Japan which easily beat everything else in terms of features. In particular, two phones from Sharp, the V402SH and V602SH between them boast a TV tuner, camera with optical zoom, virtual karaoke machine and dog bark translater (woof woof), according to this review. Perhaps some features are more useful than others, but with a bit of luck we'll see these features in worldwide mobiles sometime in 2005. In the meantime I guess I'll just have to learn to speak dog by myself."
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Japanese Cell Phones Offer a Glimpse of the Future More

Japanese Cell Phones Offer a Glimpse of the Future

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  • Hmm... (Score:4, Funny)

    by Lanzaa ( 761994 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @08:49PM (#9112952) Journal
    I need a klingon translator. That would be better.

    • Re:Hmm... (Score:2, Interesting)

      by nuclear305 ( 674185 ) *
      How is this offtopic? The story mentions a bark translator...and the poster wants a klingon translator instead.

      Personally, I think a klingon translator would be more useful...

      In my eyes, cell phones are starting to follow the path much like ICQ. They originally started out simple and functional...then it turned into a race to see how many useless features could be packed into it--rendering it mostly useless.

      • Re:Hmm... (Score:3, Interesting)

        by Talinom ( 243100 )
        Yes. Star Trek.

        I am a simple person with simple tastes.

        1) I want a phone that works like a phone should work. No games, no internet, no walkie-talkie functions, and no stinkin' roaming or overage fees. An easy to use directory would be nice, though.

        2) I want this same phone to look exactly like the communicators on ST:TOS. Voice recognition, too, so when I say "Kirk to Enterprise" or "Kirk to Starbase 1" it dials the programmed number.

        Really, is that asking too much?

  • Do we need these features? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Espectr0 ( 577637 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @08:49PM (#9112953) Journal
    They actually want to make a regular computer inside the cell phone.. I actually want a cell phone that can be heard everywhere, with a nice battery and perhaps send pictures and such (which can already be done).

    • Re:Do we need these features? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Stopmotioncleaverman ( 628352 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @08:55PM (#9113001)
      It depends on who you define as 'we'.

      You and I, it would appear not. The general, cellphone-buying market? Maybe.

      It has seemed to me for a while that cellphones are really trying to be PDAs. But then if you want a device that does everything that a PDA can do..........why not just buy a freakin' PDA? And if you want a portable computer..........why not just buy a freakin' PDA?

      I want a cellphone that I can walk around with, and that goes bring bring hello. Cellular. Phone. If I'd wanted a PDA, I'd have bought one.

      However, kids and city boy executives with shiny suits, who are, let's face it, the main market sector buying new phones, seem to want the latest, greatest, smartest, flashiest, most function-packed portable computers. And if there's demand for it, then cellphone manufacturers will make it. It's just a shame as far as I'm concerned that I have to buy some bloated device full of functions I'll never use and will chew up battery power at the rate of a small fish-gutting farm.

      I know, if I want something that just goes bring bring hello, I could just carry a Soviet brick around with me. Unfortunately the last time I tried my soviet brick on my network it seemed to fall off regularly. That and the fact that my pockets aren't made of high-tensile reinforced nanofibres to carry the extreme weight :)

      • Re:Do we need these features? (Score:4, Insightful)

        by moxruby ( 152805 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @09:18PM (#9113178)
        if you want a portable computer..........why not just buy a freakin' PDA?

        Because a PDA, while useful, is bulky and an additional gadget to carry around - if your going to carry a PDA, it might as well have an inbuilt phone.
        The current crop of "smart phones" are too big, however a few more years of minituarisation and we'll see cheap phones with good battery life and the regular PDA features such as calendar, internet access, decent addressbook, mp3 player, java VM, email client etc. in a form factor around that of today's regular phones.

        The tech is not quite ready yet, but I predict that within ten years, nearly everyone will be carrying a tiny phone-come-PDA with an inbuilt camera.
        • however a few more years of minituarisation and we'll see cheap phones with good battery life and the regular PDA features such as calendar, internet access, decent addressbook, mp3 player, java VM, email client etc. in a form factor around that of today's regular phones.

          you don't need to wait a few years. pretty much every thing you listed is in my old-ass docomo phone and it's older than sand. i don't think it's the waiting but rather, damn, why does cellphone technology suck so bad in the US (it's more

        • The current crop of "smart phones" are too big, however a few more years of minituarisation and we'll see cheap phones with good battery life and the regular PDA features such as calendar, internet access, decent addressbook, mp3 player, java VM, email client etc. in a form factor around that of today's regular phones.

          Except for mp3 player (well technically it can play MP3 type files, but the storage space is limited to the sim card) and address book, my phone does all that. And it also has a built in c
          • 3 days idle is considered "great" battery life these days? Whatever happened to the phone only needing to be recharged once a week with a few hours of talk time? Did the extreme miniaturization trend start eating into battery life? That would be unfortunate, as the battery life is one of the primary features of the phone, and the dog translater is definatly a secondary feature.

      • Re:Do we need these features? (Score:4, Informative)

        by Texas Rose on Lava L ( 712928 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @09:42PM (#9113326) Homepage Journal
        The Economist recently had an interesting article [economist.com] on how cell phones are marketed and why people buy them. Basically, when (some) people buy phones, they're looking more for a status symbol than for a device to actually make phone calls on. For example, teenagers might spend $3 on a ringtone because they're looking for a way to establish an identity.
      • Japanese mobile phones run on a different network than US cellular phones, which perhaps indicates why they're so much smaller and lightweight than US phones. Although they have more features, they don't use up an exorbitant amount of power (although, in Japan, you can go to some convenience stores like 7-11 and get your phone charged at a vending machine while taking money out of an ATM). US phones look like the "dealbreaker" phones Micheal Douglas uses on the beach in "Wall Street" compared to the thin,
      • Let it replace all the other electronic devices you have on you. Like:

        1) A LED flashlight. So handy, so simple.
        2) Built-in usb plug letting it operate as a combination modem and flash drive. Of the generic variety, so you don't need to install special software to use it as such.
        3) AM/FM/Weather radio. Keep up with news and sports.
        4) Civilian band walkie talkie. Generic analog or smarter digital, with encryption. If it can use bluetooth, it is already capable of using the right frequencies.

        Please add

    • Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)

      by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @09:08PM (#9113097)
      Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • Well yeah, what we really all want is good coverage and long battery life. However, people don't want large batteries and a huge antenna. Consumers usually chose the cool gadget over the practical one. I recently got a new phone from verizon. It's cheap, great batter life, and getter reception than my previous phone. It doesn't have any special features. But the point is I'm limited to the network. They only provider in my area is verizon and it's not even that good at my house. And remember, verizo
    • You have 3 new messages. In other news, your dog wants steak.

      Sorry, it had to be said.

  • dog bark translater (Score:5, Funny)

    by F13 ( 9091 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @08:50PM (#9112958)
    Is this for blind people?

  • I can honestly say... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by vondo ( 303621 ) * on Monday May 10, 2004 @08:50PM (#9112963)
    ...that I don't want a phone with any of those features. I want a phone that
    a) doesn't sound like crap
    b) lasts a few days on a charge
    c) functions as a bluetooth access point for my PDA/Laptop
    d) doesn't cost more than $150
    • I definately agree with you on that. There's no need for all these extra features on a cell phone. Take the camera for instance: you would be better off with a small portable digital camera, unless you're going to a strip club, and they won't let you take a camera inside. They'd never take away your cell phone.

      Another useful (offtopic) thing about strip clubs: give the girls $2 bills; it's dark and they'll mistake them for $20's.
      • Who on earth would feel good about cheating a pole dancer out of their money? These attractive women are letting you watch them naked or nearly-naked, for only a couple of dollars an hour.

        Too many supposedly educated people treat women like mysterious, illogical animals that can be controlled with the right phrases, gestures, or chemicals. When they can't get a women to sleep with them after dressing nice and buying one dinner, they decide that women must not enjoy sex (after all, logic states that if they
    • Well, the Sony Ericsson T616 (or equivalent, depending on network) does all that and more, except perhaps for your pricepoint. However, if you're willing to get locked into a contract, perhaps you can find a carrier willing to sell it to you for $150 or less.

    • you say this because you havn't seen it (Score:4, Interesting)

      by lingqi ( 577227 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @09:21PM (#9113204) Journal
      The Sharp models have very nice displays that boast 640x480 resolution on a 3" screen. you have to realize that people use it for email / web browsing (well, maybe more mail than web for vodafone service) more than they use their phone for a phone, since calls are so expensive comparatively.

      it also comes with 2mpix digital camera, which, coupled with the screen, is a very nice treat.

      the phone isn't too expensive when you factor in the various contract-length discounts. It comes out to be less than 200USD for the top of line vodafone has to offer, and consider how much a slim 2mpix digicam alone would cost you, i don't think it's a terrible price.

      comments on the article is that, though: isn't this kind of old news? vodafone TV has been around for like half a year now and the reception isn't terrific - especially, erm, on subways; the pet-emotion-translator has also been about 8 monthes or so if not longer. it's an add-on 32MB SD card software package, though, so didn't try it.

      phones with digicams that comes with optical zoom was probably first seen on one of the earlier model panasonic FOMA phones (for NTT docomo) and that was like two years ago.

      hmm, but maybe i'm just spoiled bathing in the abundant supply of unnecessary toys readily available in japan.
    • Hmph. I just bought a Moto v600. Lasts a week on a charge, bluetooth, GREAT SCREEN, camera.

      It also has the java stuff and plays games and uses mp3s as ringtones and a whole lotta other stuff.

      But it's also a pretty damn good phone for $175.

      My wife sounded like a LOT of you guys: I don't want a damn camera, I don't want a damn color screen....

      Then she IM's me with a link to the V600. Says it's pretty. Likes the 'environmental mood lighting'.

      Some engineer figured that, for another $3, he could put red, gr
    • Japanese phones did all that when I got here two years ago (except the Bluetooth, which came out last year.) They have to add the extra features since they've already mastered the simple stuff.

      And if I trade up my Vodaphone, it will probably cost me either a dollar (depending on whether they're competing with NTT's current offer) or $40, like it did last year.

      However, what I will probably get is one of the international models, so I can use it in any country.
  • in the article, both phones have 2 hours talk, and what happens when users are using the other non-talking functions??

  • Japanse dogs? (Score:5, Funny)

    by nmoog ( 701216 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @08:53PM (#9112987) Homepage Journal
    Japanese dogs don't go "woof-woof" they go "wan-wan".

    And cats go "nya-nya"

    Just thought I'd clear that up before you rushed out to buy one for your non-japanese pets.

  • Phones that let you see into the future! (Score:5, Funny)

    by Chuck Chunder ( 21021 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @08:53PM (#9112988) Journal
    Cool!

  • I got one of these (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Crowhead ( 577505 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @08:53PM (#9112991)
    Man, my dog talks like a sailor. He's all "get me some fucking dogfood, goddamnit" this and "you best be taking me for walk, shithead" that.

    • Re:I got one of these (Score:2, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      My dog talks like a pirate. He's all "Wh3r3 15 d4 fu!1n9 w4r3z d00dz?!?" this and and "W1nd0w5 15 th3 gr347357!" that.

  • 2005? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by sych ( 526355 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @08:56PM (#9113004)
    Hold on, we're almost half-way through 2004 already, they're not even out in Japan yet; the USA still hasn't managed to convert to GSM let alone UMTS or any other 3G standard, there's probably a tonne of localisation to do, and you're expecting to see these things worldwide in 2005?

    You must be joking, right?
    • You['re] (must be) joking, right?

      That's what Kyle Katarn said. About a million and four times in Jedi Academy. And he's a freaking Jedi. So he must be right.

      It's not gonna sell. The Jedi have spoken :)
    • I have a CDMA2000 phone, so yes we do have 3G service. It isn't perfect, but knowing what my cost per minute is (both for me and the originating caller) as opposed to what my friends in Europe pay....I'll keep it.

      If I travel outside the country, I can rent a phone and forward to it if I so desire.

      The 144K data service is not perfect (latency is high, and the speed varies) but it is *very* cheap. Being able to surf and get on IRC while I'm passenger on car trips rocks.
      • Maybe if, instead of just saying how great it is, you provided useful information such as where you live, what phone model and what provider you use, someone might mod you Informative.

  • Dream I had a year and a half ago (Score:3, Interesting)

    by BlueJay465 ( 216717 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @08:56PM (#9113012)
    Technology has been evolving at a rapid rate. Consumer grade cellphones had been blended with actual camcorders and were able to record and transmit at 1080i over the airwaves. The video calls were amazing. They were still quite a bit more bulky than the ones you have in your pocket, due to the extra features and they had more of a shape of a camcorder. There seemed to be a lot more vigilante news reporting at this time too, and there was a lot more chaos in the world.

    Maybe the time I saw in my dream is closer than I thought.

    Mod me offtopic if you feel necessary, I think it quite in context.

  • "Dog bark translator"....?! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Mmm coffee ( 679570 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @08:58PM (#9113024) Journal
    I know this is off topic, but if you haven't spent enough time with your dog to know what he/she is thinking, feeling, and expressing without a fscking dog bark translator, then you're probably a crappy 'parent'.

    Right now my dog (Jenny) is laying on the chair next to my computer desk with her head propped up on the arm, staring at me with one ear perked straight up. That clearly says "You're supposed to be petting me instead of browsing Slashdot, you moron." Just learn how to speak dog, it's cheaper and more rewarding.

    • Similar to parenting (Score:2, Interesting)

      by Deitheres ( 98368 )
      As a pet owner, I agree with you. I can't say I have children, but it seems to be the same way. I mean, when my cat is being bitchy, he either needs food, water, or attention. I don't need a translator to tell me that. I have seen some products that claim to translate the cries of a child. I imagine that there is/could be a market for a product like that, but that is a saddening prospect. Your child is crying. Gee, maybe he/she is hungry, needs a new diaper, or just plain misses you. Do you need a translato

  • with a bit of luck, we WON'T be seeing these (Score:5, Interesting)

    by neurojab ( 15737 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @08:59PM (#9113027)
    >with a bit of luck we'll see these features in worldwide mobiles sometime in 2005

    correction: with a bit of luck, we WON'T be seeing these features in worldwide mobiles EVER.

    Whatever happened to the engineering concept of affordance?

    Portable phone: The ideal one is really portable and really a phone. Make it small, light, have the battery last forever and never lose calls. I'll buy that one. Keep the dog translator, thanks.

  • What??? (Score:3, Funny)

    by nizo ( 81281 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @09:03PM (#9113062) Homepage Journal
    No builtin fork and cheese grater???
  • I'm not saying that a TV tuner isn't cool, those Sony Watchmen from the 80's were most spiffy among other portable TV products. However broadcast programing is very much limited... typicaly ABC CBS NVC UPN WB and PBS can be picked up on rabbit ears. I hardly ever turn in to any of the above except for news. Cable telivision carries most of watch I watch on a regular basis, making such feature pretty much useless to me.

    Now a radio tuner on the otherhand I would find much more in the way of useful when ou
  • I'll skip all of those features, thank you. I work for a government contractor and we're not even allowed to bring camera-equipped phones into the building without a permit anyway.

    No, what I'd rather have is a tiny flip-phone that I can slip into my watch pocket. My Samsung A-530 is good, but I wish it were tinier. I don't want four hundred annoying ringtones; I don't want downloadable games at $2.50 a pop that I have to use my minutes to get; I don't really even care for a color screen. Make it small,
    • What you're looking for is the LG TM250/VX3100 [comparecellular.com]. It's tiny, sounds decent, and theoretically has up to 240 hours of standby time, although I've only managed to get three to four days on a single charge out of the stock 950 mAH battery that it comes with. I don't feel like dropping money on the extended 1500 mAH battery, but there is one available if you desperately want to make your phone last for a week on end without charging. My only gripe is that the ringer's sometimes hard to hear among background noise

    • Is it so much to ask for a cellular phone that functions as an efficient communications tool? I don't want to take pictures on it--I have a camera for that. I don't want to listen to MP3s on it--I have an iPod for that.

      On the other hand, some of us don't feel like carrying lots of separate devices around. If I want really nice pictures I'll take my camera--but if I just want to grab a quick snapshot of something I can use my keitai. If I'm going to listen to music for hours on end I'll use my MD player

  • Bark Translater (Score:2, Funny)

    by zolon ( 605240 )
    Wait a momemnt. Does this mean I can finally understand what the heck my ex was saying?!

    (( Yes, this was a poor attempt at humour. ))

    Sin

  • After spending 3 years in Japan, I was disappointed at the build quality of US phone when I returned. Anyone who's used a Japanese mobile phone will tell you they are built to hold up much longer than the ones in the US. I feel like if I drop my US cell once, it's a goner. I banged my JP phone up alot and it's still going strong.

    Forget adding features, add some better plastics!

  • Features (Score:2, Insightful)

    by uspsguy ( 541171 )
    My only question: does it actually make usable phone calls?
  • 1. How about a phone that doesn't drop calls? 2. Maybe eliminating dropped calls. 3. I'd also like a phone that doesn't $@%#$&* drop calls!!!!!!!!! Um, the battery thing too.
    • Don't you get it man?

      THEY don't want you to complete your calls!

      By constantly dropping your calls, you give up and don't use your phone, so the battery seems to last longer. It's all a big scam. The man doesn't want you to know how pathetic the battery life is.

      But I'll tell people the TRUTH man... and the truth is th)@*%/.% [NO CARRIER]

  • phones are replacing PCs (Score:3, Insightful)

    by bhny ( 97647 ) <bh AT usa DOT net> on Monday May 10, 2004 @09:17PM (#9113166) Homepage
    in japan, for some kids the phone is their pc. they don't email they send text messages, they browse the web on their phone.

    it's not obvious in the U.S. with our backwards cell phones, but in other parts of the world people are buying phones instead of PCs

  • What a waste (Score:3, Insightful)

    by reynolds_john ( 242657 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @09:17PM (#9113169)
    Phone manufacturers (and software developers) are keeping the price of these silly things artificially high.

    Back in the late 90s I heard from a developer that Nokia told them at a conference that they *could* make cell phones that updated themselves over the network; they don't because they want cell phone turnover on the rate of about one a year.
    The service still sucks at times, and the stuff they add on just simply doesn't justify the insane prices you pay. Think about it - $150 for a good new phone, and (average) $60 a month for a decent plan.

    That's $870 a year for a PHONE.

    Price for a regular home phone, $150 a year, maybe $200 if you add on a good long distance plan. And unlike your cell, the home phone is good for life (we just threw away my grandfather's phone that he got from AT&T in the early 60s).

    Perhaps I'm the anomoly, but I want quality service, long battery life, and a decent menu system (are you listening, Motorola?) over every other feature they come up with.

    Just my 2 cents.

  • In Japan, cell phones take place of cheap PDA (Score:3, Interesting)

    by DB_researcher ( 686048 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @09:17PM (#9113173)

    In Japan, these high-end cell phones are just used as PDA by young people, because these cell phones are not so expensive ($50~$100), and have basic communication mechanisms (phonic and e-mail) and web-browser. For most Japanese, cell phones are not only phonic communication tool but also necessary informational equipment.

    In such situ., there will be "cell-phone-geeks", and want more complicated functions, like dog-human translater or tv, no doubt.

  • Battery life? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by kuzb ( 724081 )
    With all these additional features getting strapped on to phones, they must be coming up with some unique new battery solutions.

    I wonder if it would be too much to ask for a cellphone that *just* made calls and lasted a really long time between charges. I think I could safely trade in the dog bark translator for that.

  • GOD I WANT TO HACK ONE ! (Score:5, Funny)

    by MajorDick ( 735308 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @09:42PM (#9113328)
    I would give ANYTHING to hack a series of those ala Barbie Liberation Front style. Change the "dog-bark" translator so it returns all kinds of EVIL and RUDE translations, like "Im going to eat your throat out in your sleep" and "Hah I pissed in you shoes" etc etc.

    Way back when in early 95 my dad was running Win95 beta or RC , I gained remote access, installed and shared a folder that I then uploaded all kinds of 2001 a space odyssey WAV's to his system and replaced the default sounds. My Dads name was Dave, so it was friggin perfect, instead of the shutdown sound it would go into the "Dave, What are you doing Dave" sequence and so on, about 10 sounds in all.

    ANYONE stupid enough to USE a dog bark translator deserves anything I can make it say.

  • Simple. (Score:2, Funny)

    by TechnoFreek ( 758758 )
    Cell Phone. Cellular Telephone. Cellular PDA-Gaming Platform-Calendar-Planner-Universal Remote-Translator-Dictionary-Infrared Scanner-Laser Pointer-RC Probe-Camera-Swiss Pocket Knife-Movie Projector-Telephone? I sure hope I didn't forget anything.

  • Those phones are even cooler in the flesh (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Gleenie ( 412916 ) * <simon.c.greenNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Monday May 10, 2004 @09:43PM (#9113337)
    I work at Vodafone NZ; we've dealt with our Japanese colleagues on a few occasions relating to 3G. They brought their phones with them. Way cool. Some of that technology is filtering down to the 2G phones being manufactuerd by the likes of Sharp also.

    Interesting was the speed with which they were able to roll out 3G sites: thousands of cells per month. Unlike us their 2G system is completely incompatible with WCDMA so they had no concerns with radio or core interoperability - and thus they were able to rollout at an unheard-of speed. Kudos to Vodafone K.K. They have been remarkably successful!

  • Captain Obvious on the Tech Front (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Mulletproof ( 513805 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @09:50PM (#9113377) Homepage Journal
    "Japanese Cell Phones Offer a Glimpse of the Future"

    Um, the Japanese cell phone market has been providing glimpses into the future for quite a while now. They are regularly on the bleeding edge of industry technology. Freakin' duh, man.

  • Orig- "Woof!"
    Translation- "Hey!"

    Orig- "Woof."
    Translation- "Give me steak."
  • ...getting a phone that....merely makes phone calls. No camera, no ring tones, no games, no color, no translators, no nothing....
    I'll never be able to buy another of those again. :(
  • Woof woof. Woof woof woof. grrrrr.

    Huff huff. Huff huff huff. grrrrr.
  • I just wanted to say it. Please just make a nice phone, just a phone! I want it to be very clear, great reception, and awsome battery life! I DO NOT want a damn camera/dog bark translator! I do not want flashy lights and annoying ringtones!

    It's not complicated, really. Someone needs to do for cell phones what Apple did for MP3 players!

  • I wish that the thing would sync with Korganizer and my Zaurus' PIM packages. I know, fat chance. Woof, Woof, I'll just keep entering my phone numbers in by hand each time I change cell phone providers and am forced to buy a new $UGLY_VERBing phone. The postman already knows what the dog it telling him.

  • Now we can all be Timmy. (Score:5, Funny)

    by psoriac ( 81188 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @10:20PM (#9113572)
    Woof Woof!

    What's that Lassie?

    Woof!

    Hold on girl let me take out my cell phone!

  • I don't want phones to have these features (Score:3, Interesting)

    by egburr ( 141740 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @10:31PM (#9113644) Homepage
    How many incredibly annoying features do they have to cram into these phones?

    Yesterday, a phone at a table near me announced very loudly to the entire restaurant "You have an incoming call!" over and over and over again. It took the guy forever to figure out how to answer it.

    What do I want in a phone?

    Limit the annoyance capabilities (volume, music, etc.)

    Let me have two or more phones share a single phone number. It has got to be possible, but nobody will do it. That's the only missing feature that makes me think back fondly about my old land-line phone. If someone wanted to reach whoever picked up first, or leave a message for whoever checked first, they only had one number to call; now they have two (me and my wife) and have to leave a message for both if neither of us answer. And soon half our calls will consist of "sorry, he's not with me; try his mother (or father) instead".

    Let it be an option to create a blacklist of numbers (including "unknown") which will NOT generate a ring at all.

    Let me hit END to drop an incoming call unanswered so I can place an outgoing call immediately instead of having to wait for the incoming call to eventually shunt over to voicemail.

    Get three-way calling working better. I have had 5 different models of phones in the past 4 years, and NONE of them has handled three-way calling well at all.

    Let me choose between color and black-and-white for the display. I never had any trouble reading the B&W display on my older phones at a quick glance. With this color display on my new phone, I have to shield it from the light, even at max contrast, and stare at it for a few seconds just to read the clock which is in larger numbers than everything else.

    Make data cables available. I should not have to go to the store and stand in line for half an hour praying that when I get to the end of the line and ask to have my phonebook copied out, that their computer isn't down, that their cable isn't broken, that their software isn't misbehaving, that the person I get actually knows how to perform such a simple task, etc.

    Make the equipment consistent. Every time I upgrade (mainly due to loss/damage) my phone, I have to get a new charger (usually included), new car charger, new headset, new data cable (if available!), new belt clip/holster, etc. And I use the term "upgrade" loosely, because out of all the phones I have had, I still like the first one best. If that model were still available, I would keep getting it, but unfortunately being 4 years old it is obsolete.

  • Since when is Japan on a differnet planet/alternate universe. Don't answer that with "tentacle manga".

    Anyhow, um, wouldn't the future be now, in Japan?

    For the record, I would like my phone to be a phone. I could give a rat's ass about the other stuff.

  • If it could just tell me the result of the first race at Eagle Farm next saturday ... :-)

  • Other Vodafone Japan 2.5G & 3G models (Score:3, Informative)

    by Bushcat ( 615449 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @11:11PM (#9113882)
    You can see other Vodafone Japan models here [vodafone.jp].

    Sharp model numbers begin or end in SH. Sanyo in SA. Toshiba in T. NEC in N. English-language PDFs of the manuals for several models are also available.

    The review didn't mention the 800 series [vodafone.jp]: 801SH and 801SA.

    Other goodies: the 601T has T4G 3D accelerator and a TV output jack when playing games. 401D also has a 2MP camera. The 401SH needs a really good signal for TV, and it kills the battery. The 401SA and 801SA have the same type of body sliding mechanism to reveal the keypad, all the others flip.

    The latest Sharp models, including the 801SH, have electrical and optical audio, so one can rip direct to the SD card. Unfortunately it's DRM City, so getting music onto the SD card via a computer involves Panasonic's awful SD Jukebox software and one of a small number of card readers.

    The 801SA can place videocalls to similar handsets. The 801SH and 801SA use W-CDMA in Japan, and tri-band GSM when roaming internationally.

    Finally, the VC701SI is a 3G modem card made by Seiko.

  • The coolest freatures I've seen comes form S.Korea (Score:3, Interesting)

    by iustus ( 773423 ) on Monday May 10, 2004 @11:34PM (#9113973)
    When I go home to the U.S. on leave, I recognize most of the American cellphones are really korean, only about one to two years behind. Last February I showed some friends my SKY Slide phone and they said "wow, yeah, my sisters getting that one next month" or "hey I was looking to get that one after my current one", then I told them that I purchased mine a year ago, second hand. Well, it good to finnally know we're finally catching up.

    Anyway, here the public transportation system is very good, so everyone has an all in one bus/subway card. The best feature yet has been the cell phone that acts as one of those, where the person takes thier cell phone out, waves it in front of the subway entrance gate, and it subtracts from thier phone bill.

    Its not hard to see where thats going. . . regardless of any stupid features like cameras or karaoke, mp3 players etc. . . its easy to imagine someone instead walking up to a counter at 7-11, the cashier ringing up what you order and then you just pay by waving your handphone in front of a little reader.

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