Willcom aims at kids with Papipo! line-up

Blog search website Technorati Japan just revealed that the most searched keyword in 2006 was the W-ZERO3, a Microsoft Mobile smartphone manufactured by Sharp and offered by PHS carrier Willcom in Japan since December 2005. While the W-ZERO3 was a definite hit for Willcom that helped turn around the nearly dying PHS business, the carrier did not rest on laurels and was diversifying its handset portfolio with innovative devices tailored for different market segments.

One of these segments is kids, for whom Willcom prepared a line-up of seven handsets under the papipo! brand - among the line-up four handsets are targeted at girls and two are at boys. The kids-tailored papipo! handsets have not only looks, but also a content that should please children. Besides the Email and camera, the phones are also packed with cartoons-themed wallpapers, games and ringtones. If that is not enough, Kids Studio, a kids-oriented mobile content distribution service, will provide additional content for download onto the handsets.

While Willcom made sure the handsets are attractive to kids, the carrier didn't forget to please those who would actually pay for the phone and service - children's parents. Parents have several means to make the usage of cellphone by their kids safe. First of all, they can restrict the phone to voice and email communication only with the registered users. Additionally, phones are equipped with a one-touch alarm button that would immediately connect the phone with the designated recipient in the time of emergency. And finally, Willcom offers location-based service to help parents pinpoint the current location of their kids.

Motorola Razr finally sellin in Japan

Announced back in July, the M702iS model is last among DoCoMo’s 7-series summer line-up to make it to the shelves of mobile shops in Japan. Obviously, Motorola struggled to deliver the phone on time due to the customization requirements from DoCoMo. The slight modification of the M702iS model, the M702iG is still undergoing tweaking to satisfy DoCoMo’s taste and it is not clear when it will be put on shelves. The M702iS phone is offered at as low as Yen 17,850 with a new contract and at as high as Yen 31,500 for existing subscribers who are on contract for less than ten months, but more than for one month. It is available in three colors: Hot pink、Neo black、and Cool silver.

With the introduction of Razr phones, Motorola will try to enter the consumer market, as its only single phone model sold by DoCoMo in Japan before was the business-oriented M1000. Besides that, Motorola ships the M2501 HSDPA PC card, also aimed at enterprise users.

"Dead souls" help Softbank to look good in investors' eyes

Financial Times reports that "a change in the way Softbank counts its subscriber numbers saved it from having to declare a net reduction in October, raising doubts whether the Japanese group can turn round the ailing mobile business it bought from Vodafone Japan in March."

Apparently, what executives at Softbank did was to extend the period for which they counted inactive users from six months to a year. As a result, the October numbers were increased by 30,000-35,000. According to Financial Times, "without the change, Softbank's reported net additions of 23,800 subscribers to 15,330,800 in October would have been replaced by a net loss of at lest 5,000 subscribers, the first since May 2005, when Vodafone still owned the business."

Generally, the industry practice in Japan is to use three months as the cut-off period for inactive users.