[deeism]

kinda old news. but i thought i'd share since keitais are beautiful.

DoCoMo ready to enter U.S. market in 2010

NEW YORK (Kyodo) NTT DoCoMo Inc. is planning to make a foray into the U.S. mobile phone market next year, offering smart phones and other high-performance handsets featuring its i-mode Internet service, sources said Friday.

The move would be DoCoMo's first attempt to launch its brand in an overseas market.

Initially, the nation's top mobile phone company may start out as a mobile virtual network operator, leasing capacity from a major cell phone service provider in the United States, the sources said.

If DoCoMo opts to start this way, it would likely lease infrastructure from AT&T Inc. or T-Mobile USA Inc., which has ties with DoCoMo's U.S. unit, the sources said.

DoCoMo provides limited services in the United States but is forming capital and business ties with local service providers.

Its plan to fully enter the U.S. market is based on smart phones, which remain highly popular there despite the recession, thanks to the 2007 introduction of Apple Inc.'s iPhone, they said.

DoCoMo also launched a support desk in New York on Friday to deal with technical troubles Japanese in the U.S. may be having.

From: TheJapanTimes Online


opinions?

[azndubz]

I doubt that there will be keitai's.
More like iPhone replicas.

[peppermintsugar]

I only care if we're getting the actually keitai's, not some boring looking Amercian-like phone that we pretty much already have. I like keitai's because they're nice looking and different, the same reason I don't like American phones.

[little mixed girl]

meh, they are probably looking to sell phones from their business line.
unfortunately, their business line is all smart phones that we have in the US.
their regular phone are only so-so looking...

au and softbank have more interesting phones.

well, it'll be interesting to see how they do...

[Hiatus]

if you go see on their website they're launching blackberry lol which is sad sad sad so outdated blackberry. As for their keitai they said you're not going to be able to use the keitai purchase in Japan on the u.s line one which is a big minus if they only release business phone..

[WendiiE]

No keitai? That's only reason why I would want a docomo phone.

[evolution_]

Ugh, I would totally pay more for a stylish keitai )=

[azndubz]

meh, they are probably looking to sell phones from their business line.
unfortunately, their business line is all smart phones that we have in the US.
their regular phone are only so-so looking...

au and softbank have more interesting phones.

well, it'll be interesting to see how they do...

hahaha, like I said.
But yeah, as for what PristineNyte had said, I'd only buy if they were introducing their keitai line...I used to have one, and I kinda miss it lol. If DoCoMo is entering the US, does that mean they're going to be like...in the lines with AT&T and T-Mobile? I think they should introduce some of the tech. over in Japan such as being able to watch live TV on your phones and ect...even though it would be really expensive, I'm sure there would be some people that are interested :3

[thisismyv]

I heard about this from my boyfriend too, and I was semi-happy. Happy in the sense that getting our hands on DoCoMo phones will be much easier (proud owner of P906i <3)... However, I wonder if these will sell here? The iPhone, which is obviously SUUUPER popular here, didn't do too well in Japan. So I wonder if DoCoMo in turn will be a flop here?

Otherwise, seeing as how they're already pretty expensive in Japan, will the prices jump further since they are being imported...? Either way, it would be nice to get them mainstream. No more hypersims would be lovely <3

[OMGXTC]

I only care if we're getting the actually keitai's, not some boring looking Amercian-like phone that we pretty much already have. I like keitai's because they're nice looking and different, the same reason I don't like American phones.

Exactly. :D

[dorothea_black]

Ah and my hopes were dashed so quickly.

I think they would very well if they did come out with keitais. I know I would get one for sure

[Rikayla]

... No Canada??

Sigh.

I look forward to their phones though. Should be interesting.

[kfreak]

we still have a lllloooonnnggg way to go inorder to have those high-tech phones in Japan..
iphone is getting boring =/

[flyxme.]

ohmygawddd
please dont, then every single asian might go out to get it lol
but i doubt it will be as nice as the cellphones IN japan

[IonNuke]

Docomo entering the US is pretty old news. They team up with T-Mobile US with several models that contain custom firmwares allowing Japanese Language and Input.

Also Docomo has already been listed and is a publicly traded company on NYSE. http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE:DCM

[AiMango]

this is news for me : O
yeah we better get some keitais. american phones are shiet. we need to get out of this touch trend xD.

[IonNuke]

keitais in the US? I doubt it. Statistics and Market patterns of the last 4~5 years show that almost 90% of the mobile audience only want a phone to talk and SMS. They don't really care about all the other stuff that comes with it.

[I_broke_a_nail!]

The docomo shop in Kinokinuya was set up early this year (across the street from Bryant Park)
But they do not offer the phone nor the service... so I wonder... was that small stand inside the book store just for me to drool? They told me they set up that area to help foreign Japanese business men and women with their cellphone needs while they're here in America.

And.... I just walked away.

I mean, how many businessmen, from Japan, that have docomo.... are in NYC at a given time...?

[bigD103]

not gonna happen. all the mvno's (mobile virtual network operator) have all tried and failed except virgin mobile. anyone remember helio? yeah that lasted all of a year before virgin bought them out. if you want mobile tv like the seg-1 in japan or dmb in korea, check out att's mobile tv and see if its in ur area. actual tv not streaming internet crap like spints tv.