Topic: AU
Category: Mobile Phones
Technorati: Linking Blogs

au by KDDI/Okinawa Cellular have announced the world's first cell phone with a 3.2 megapixel camera, to be available in June. As usual, it's a Japan-only model.

In the "western" world, 3.2mp digital cameras are still advertised as mainstream, and even VGA is rare on camera phones. In Japan, however, the trendy teenagers will soon enjoy taking ultra high resolution photos with their cell phones. au has announced 3 new models for this summer, namely A5406CA, A5506T and A5407CA.

A5406CA

A5406CA, a CDMA1000 1x phone built by Casio, has an 1/1.8 inch CCD that gives you a whopping 3.2 million effective pixels. Still photos can be taken at resolutions ranging from 160x120 (cell phone size) to 2,048x1,536 (QXGA), and movie clips can be recorded at 176x144. Auto focus by contrast, focus lock, micro mode, 2D code (QR code) reading, and 32-step 12.8x digital zoom are also present. This is almost on par with the "mainstream" digital cameras in the western world.

Another feature you don't see in cell phones sold elsewhere is stereo audio output. With the DiMAGIC Virtualizer X sound processor and twin speakers, you can enjoy stereo sound when watching movie clips or using appli's (cell phone applications). A 64-chord polyphonic engine is used for ring tones.

Its main display is a 2.3 inch, 240x320 (QVGA) LCD, and the sub display (the one on the cover) is a 1.1 inch, 72x96 LCD. It has approximately 12.8MB of built-in memory, and a miniSD slot for adding more. Java Phase3 EZ Appli's can be run on the phone. For text input, the intelligent prediction and conversion engine APOT and the Kansai dialect engine ATOK for au are used. The phone is available in 3 colors: nautilus white, tailored black and cloudy purple. Its dimensions are 52x102x28mm, and weighs 125g. Continuous talk time is approx. 160 minutes, standby time is approx. 200 hours. It takes 130 minutes for the phone to be fully charged.
 

A5506T

A5506T, a CDMA2000 1x phone built by Toshiba, is capable of reading 2D codes (QR codes) that contain map location information, and display destination and route maps, and track your position in real time with GPS, thanks to the EZ Naviwalk feature. The phone is equipped with a 1.3mp CMOS camera, with a maximum resolution of 1,280x960 (SXGA) for still photos and 176x144 for movie clips. A close-up mode allows taking photos at 10cm from the object, and night mode and continuous shot mode are also available. Photo editing applications come with the phone: you can combine pictures with Stamp Studio, frame pictures with Frame Studio, and trace the contours in the photos.

The menu system, Smart Menu, features brand new icons and changable font in menus, when viewing emails and webpages, and when inputing text. Its bilingual interface means you can switch the display to English (if only we could use it outside Japan...). Main display is a 2.2" 240x320 LCD, with a 1" 94x112 sub display. EZ Appli's use the BREW 2.1 format and text input is done through the Mobile Rupo engine. There is 4MB memory for the main data folder and 2.2MB for the BREW folder, as well as a miniSD slot for expansion. The phone comes in 3 colors: mayfair white, chelsea rose and saville black. It measures 49x95x25mm, weighs 114g. The battery lasts 180 minutes when talking and 210 hours when standby, and takes 110 minutes to charge.
 

A5407CA

A5407CA, another model made by Casio, is mostly a "standard" Japanese phone. 2mp 1/27" CCD camera with 4-lens optics (as opposed to 3-lens optics on its predecessor A5403CA), 2.2" 240x320 main LCD and 1.1" 72x96 sub LCD, 12.8MB built-in memory and miniSD slot, Java Phase3 EZ Appli, APOT and ATOK for au input methods, 64-chord polyphonic ring melodies... you get the drill.

Available in 2 colors (flare red and mistral white), the phone measures 52x102x26mm and weighs 121g. Battery lasts 160 minutes when talking, 200 hours when standby, and takes 130 minutes to be fully charged.
 

Inspired by:
http://k-tai.impress.co.jp/cda/article/news_toppage/18879.html
http://k-tai.impress.co.jp/cda/article/news_toppage/18880.html
http://k-tai.impress.co.jp/cda/article/news_toppage/18881.html

Press releases:
http://www.kddi.com/corporate/news_release/2004/0517/
http://www.casio.co.jp/release/2004/a5406ca_a5407ca.html
http://www.toshiba.co.jp/about/press/2004_05/pr_j1701.htm