KDDI to Launch GPS Mobile Phone with Alternative 'Hello Kitty' Dress-Up Panels
August 26, 2002 (Tokyo) -- KDDI Corp. and Okinawa Cellular Telephone Co.
are to introduce a GPS mobile phone featuring a popular character of Sanrio
Co., Ltd., "Hello Kitty," to the market in mid-September.
The mobile phone will be bundled with three versions of alternative
"dress-up" panels with designs of Hello Kitty. It is a newly designed model
developed from "A3014S," a Sony-made mobile phone supporting a global positioning
system (GPS) "eznavigation." In addition to the alternative panels, the mobile phone
also features Hello Kitty for the standby screen and the start button. Its price is set
open, but expected to be around 12,800 yen at shops. (119.88 yen = US$1)
The alternative panels are three types: "Normal" colored in
pearl pink with an embossed Hello Kitty, "Rose" with a Hello
Kitty and roses, and "Zebra" featuring a Hello Kitty and
roses on the mirror ground. The top of the antenna, the
hinge, the body under the main liquid-crystal display (LCD)
and the start button carry the face of Hello Kitty, and the
sub LCD in the back of the phone body features the face and
the logo of Hello Kitty.
On the LCD screen, Hello Kitty appears in the standby
screen and the screen saver. Animations of Hello Kitty also
appear when making/receiving calls and sending/receiving
messages, as well as when operating on or off the phone. On
the stand-by screen, Hello Kitty shows the level of radio
waves (strong, moderate, weak and no service) by its facial
expression.
The phone also employs the "voice of Hello Kitty" for
alarms. It voices "Hello" when a folded phone is opened.
When it checks a new e-mail, it says "Any mail coming?"
The specifications of the new phone are as follows. It is
capable of high-speed data communications at 144kbps. It
enables a constant call for about 160 minutes. It has about
2MB capacity for its data folder and some 58KB e-mail, sender-box capacity, which
stores 250 messages. It also has about a 125KB e-mail, receiver-box capacity, which
stores 500 messages. The phone body measures about 48mm wide by 29mm thick by
95mm high, and weighs about 110g.
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