KDDI To Release "Mate" Pocket PC Phone?

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2004/12/kddi_mate_uber.html' target='_blank'>http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archive..._mate_uber.html</a><br /><br /></div>Presumably this is only for Japan, but it's cool nevertheless -- KDDI is slated to release a WM2003SE-based phone, with CDMA 1xEV-DO, Bluetooth, WiFi, a touch screen <i>plus</i> dialpad, and... a CF slot. 8O<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/parekh-20041210-KDDIPPCPE.jpg" /><br /><br />Sweet specs, but I'm having a tough time getting a handle on the form factor. If you look at the picture with the CF card, it's not <i>that</i> big a device... so the touch screen must be tiny. Plus, none of the screenshots look remotely like WM2003SE. Anyone care to speculate as to what's going on? ;)

[powder2000]

Probably a flash demo, IMHO. Different looking, but in a long, ipodish sort of way.

[Darius Wey]

I would love to play around with this device. Sweet specs and form factor - and it's got a cradle too! 128MB RAM, VGA Camera, 1950mAh battery, CF, miniSD, 3G, CDMA, Wi-Fi and BT - what more could you want? :mrgreen:

P.S. This (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12/09/kddi_love_mate/) article is worth reading as well.

[webagogue]

The phone is called the "Ai" mate. The prefix is the Japanese kanji for "love" which is pronounced "ai" in this context. It is a play on the whole "i" this and "i" that. Pretty clever, no?

[Darius Wey]

The phone is called the "Ai" mate. The prefix is the Japanese kanji for "love" which is pronounced "ai" in this context. It is a play on the whole "i" this and "i" that. Pretty clever, no?

:rotfl: I keep thinking of Ali G and the whole "Ai!" thing.

[jimlad]

From the penultimate photo, it looks more like the Smartphone OS don't you think?

[jonathanchoo]

Get rid of the iPod look and I might consider it.

[Darius Wey]

From the penultimate photo, it looks more like the Smartphone OS don't you think?

You'd think so, but from what I've read, it's running WM2003SE.

Get rid of the iPod look and I might consider it.

Heh. It's quite funny. Anything that is white and rectangular-ish these days is labelled as an iPod imitation.

Actually, at first glance, I liked the form factor, but I'm not so sure about it now. It now just looks like a remote control.

[surur]

Its rather large, isn't it? I'm sure its bigger than most pocketpc's, with a much smaller screen.

Its nice to see a device with everything however. I bet they chose CF so they could sell microdrives for it, to use as a music player.

Surur

Edit: having read the article, this is an amazing single purpose device. It has mini-SD AND compact flash. They are only making a few thousand for an expo, to use as visitor guides. They must cost thousands each.

[felixdd]

Very interesting user form factor. Nice to see people breaking out of the mindset.

[Typhoon]

Cool features, and a really neat look...buttttt....I can't imagine carrying one of those. Would guys or girls pull out one of these in public in Japan? At least in the US, it would only work for girls...12 years old.

[Tierran]

I don't think it resembles an iPod at all. iPods are so ugly in my opinion. That looks like it game from outer space. 0X

[wiley]

Definitely Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition.
Here are the specs right from the kddi site.

http://www.kddi.com/corporate/news_release/2004/1208/besshi.html

[Typhoon]

Between my daughter and my dog...my dog grabbed it first...lol just kidding.

[steveapp]

Not that we will get it in the west of course...

But a fiver says there is an error and its really the windows smartphone op system

Meee