Actress Sayo Aizawa holds one of the new au handsets for autumn-winter.

KDDI unveils new lineup of au handsets

Thursday 29th October, 01:39 PM JST

TOKYO —

KDDI and Okinawa Cellular on Thursday introduced their new lineup of au mobile phones for this autumn-winter season.

The new lineup ranges from models with 12 megapixel cameras and high-quality videos, to slim and compact models, and models for elderly and junior users. The lineup covers 20 models in total, including the previously announced two models in the iida brand, the E07K corporate model, and the four WiMAX-enabled WIN data communication terminals.

The lineup includes: EXILIM Keitai CA003 equipped with a 12.2 megapixel camera compatible with high-speed shooting of 20 photos per second and the Dynamic Photo function; AQUOS SHOT SH003 capable of shooting super-high-quality photos easily with a 12.1 megapixel CCD camera and a 3.4-inch touch-panel display; stylish EXILIM Keitai CA 004 featuring a 8 megapixel camera for high-quality photos; and SH004 with a 8 megapixel high-sensitive camera.

The other models in the lineup include: BRAVIA Phone U1 allowing for replaying, even in a bathtub, videos recorded with a Blu-ray Disc recorder; SA001, the world’s thinnest One-seg-enabled slide-type handset; the world’s thinnest waterproof T003; water-proof SH005 with a choice of seven colors; compactly-designed S002 compatible with Global Passport GSM that can be used in 192 countries and areas; URBANO BARONE, a second sequel to the URBANO series with comfortable functions and sophisticated design to appeal to adult users; easy-to-use, simple-style Kantan Keitai K004; and mamorino for junior users that comes standardized for the first time in the industry with Cocosecom’s alarm-synced emergency service.

The lineup comes pre-installed with the newly revamped LISMO!, an easy-to-use download service for music, videos, and even books, as well as the industry’s largest 3,000 pictographs. Also, now more models are compatible with other great features, including the improved Decoration Mail function and EZ News EX.

› Login to comment

8 Comments

Altria at 04:18 PM JST - 29th October

No doubt they all suck...as an AUser I'm used to being consistently disappointed 4 times a year.
S7ro9kGm3aQ at 04:42 PM JST - 29th October

fter Softbank took the lead with WinMo and the iPhone, even DoCoMo is lining up Google Android, Blackberry et al.

And what market strategy does AU have? Super shiny phones which look like the equivalent of Those Mini-Cars With The Loud Mufflers And Fluffy White Steering Wheel Covers, completely incompatible with the world outside of Japan, useless to surf the web with, and crippled by horrible Japanese UI's.

Target demographic: mini-car driving, po-JP-trash, orange-haried Disney addicts. And the occasional foreigner hunting for low prices.
smartacus at 04:52 PM JST - 29th October

These cell phones have way too many features in them. All I want is one that can send and receive a call.
noborito at 05:30 PM JST - 29th October

and again, no iphone. kddi used to be the carrier. now people are going data only. my softbank iphone bill is 6000 yen a month. my kddi was 12,000 and my ntt was 17,000. why is my softbank so cheap? because i text everyone. the iphone is so much easier to write English, Japaneses, and Spanish. Japanese phones are junk now.
Foxie at 06:20 PM JST - 29th October

I want to send SMS and don't need my cell in the bathtub. Don't they get it?
Azrael at 07:43 PM JST - 29th October

My AU KDDI phone broke down. I was prepared to buy AU a new headset this month, but AU won't sell me anything unless I sign a two years contract (apparently in blood). I have only a few months left in Japan, so NAW. I just had my old AU headset repaired, fully paid from my accumulated AU points so I got the repairs for FREE and I keep my 2man yen for me. On my student plan I pay under 4000 yen a month because I only text and check the weather reports. TAKE THAT AU! >:D
gaijintraveller at 09:04 PM JST - 29th October

I am another AU user. I have a Sony Ericsson model. The design is terrible. It has so many functions built in that it reminds you of Windows when you turn it on as it takes so long to start up. It has predictive typing, but it prediction is nearly always wrong. The design prize must go to the alarm, which you can only hear if you are wide awake and in a quiet place. Second prize goes to a music player incapable of playing mp3s.

Someone sent me a pdf file as an email attachment. My phone can neither display it or forward it to a computer that can read it. It only forwards text.

Like Foxie I would like to send SMS messages, but Au will sends text messages in a proprietary format that only Au understands.

It is supposed to work in other countries. I do not intend to check that feature to see if it works as any call made in another country is charged at international rates. It is cheaper to buy another phone to use overseas. I have an old one I use when I travel. It has an alarm that wakes you up and predictive typing that is usually right on the first guess.

Also, 12 megapixels does not produce quality unless it is combined with a good lens and a sufficiently large sensor.

Lismo is supposed to be easy to use. My phone supposedly has English menus, but the Lismo part doesn't. That too is rubbish.
sharky1 at 11:00 PM JST - 29th October

AU Waterproof phones are awesome...they need to go back to the waterproof phones that were also shock resistant when dropped. Still have one from 5 years ago, but I am told that new batteries for this model will soon become unavailable. Don't sell the 12 MPX to the J-cops...they will start getting better up skirt shots...