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Cellphones in Japan
A small pictorial report

DSLR recently spent a short time in Japan and instead of just getting jealous of the state of the cellular network there, snapped some pictures to prove that despite the well reported Japanese economic slump, Japan continues to maintain its network and handset lead over the USA and Europe ..


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THE CELLPHONE IS NOT JUST A PHONE ANYMORE

The first thing that strikes a visitor to Japan now is that the number of people *looking* at their phones exceeds the number who are talking on them. Phones are to be seen flipped open and in use everywhere- on subways, while walking, in lines, while walking, in bars and restaurants..

MORE THAN SENDING SHORT MESSAGES (TEXTING)

Handsets in Japan now come with TFT color screens - from 256 to 65k colors.. and with sufficient resolution and size to display large amounts of information when suitably formatted and paginated. Four-way joysticks are used to navigate through all phone functions, people download screen savers, background pictures, songs (no longer the Nokia type beep-beep tunes, these phones play acceptable music), and generally customize and personalize their phone.

JAVA is built into newer phones, allowing downloadable games and other reliable mini-programs to be sucked straight off the web. Data speeds are adequate (38k+) and getting faster (384k). All of the web is actually available on a phone screen, although sites that wish to attract phone users benefit by being reformatted for smaller screens.

All phones come with email accounts, and fairly long emails may be sent and received.

All in all, the new color phones put palm pilots to shame in terms of functionality, but are far in advance in terms of battery life, size and weight.

THE CELLPHONE AS A FASHION ITEM

Cellphones come in a bewildering variety of styles and colors, from lipstick pink to fashion silver and every shape and style in between. custom hand loops, antenna flashers, and case customization parts are purchased by the container load.


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THE CELLPHONE OWNED BY EVERYONE

From school age to senior, you are a nobody without a cellphone and your own number.. many people do away with their home phone entirely, prefering to keep their cell online all the time, and with 400 hour standby times (over 2 weeks), even that is not hard to do. Phones are exactly as big as they need to be, and are as light as 60 grams.. (just over 2.1 oz).

THE CELLPHONE THAT KNOWS (ROUGHLY) WHERE YOU ARE

Handsets now come with a "GPS" like feature: current position identification .. the phone is capable of informing 3rd party web services (or other users) where you are based on your current cell. This means zoomable maps on your cell screen, instant service (restaurant, shop, bank, post office..) lookups automatically filtered for your location, and other clever location based services: recommend a train/bus route, check up on your kids?

THE CELLPHONE TAKING PICTURES

Some of the current range of regular (non-3G phones) make good use of the quality color screens by offering an integrated digital camera .. pictures are snapped by the user, previewed, then sent to any other cellphone or by email as an attached gif.

THE CELLPHONE RARELY OUT OF SERVICE

Cells cover almost every square inch of urban Japan, including the most important location guaranteed to be out of service in most other cities in the world: the subway station.. the system appears to be built to cope with an extraordinary number of simultaneous active connections: at crowded locations at certain times (for example, friday night the last train home) it sometimes seems like everyone is using their phone at once with no problems.


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ECONOMICAL PRICES

Cellphone handsets are priced almost entirely in the range $0 to $100, with $100 always buying the latest and best models, encouraging yearly upgrades. Monthly contracts are economical and easy enough to obtain for even high school students with no financial identity to own a phone. 99% of handset purchases in Japan now are upgrades rather than new subscribers, as phone ownership is at saturation point.

THE NEW 3G HANDSETS - 384k on tap

The newest 3G handsets already available offer streaming video, can multi-task, and run at 384k/64k in speed. Prices for these handsets is initially high (for Japan) starting at $250, and going to $500 for the model that streams video.

THE SAME CELLPHONE NETWORK PROVIDES INTERNET ACCESS


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Standard data speeds on the cell network are already equal or higher than 56k modems - for example 64k on the CDCMA networks. Phones or data cards can be linked to PCs or laptops to remove the need for dialup ISPs.. always on, fixed monthly fees of around $35 remove the last need for a home fixed line.

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mattman4
join:1999-10-25

mattman4

Member

Wow.

Nice article Justin! Only thing is I can't see people using their phones here in the U.S. in the same way that they use it in Japan. O well, prove me wrong guys.

Interesting that you say that phones cost 0-100$ (and that would be a top of the line model). How can this be. The phones obviously contain advanced technology, and they do cost a lot more than that. How can they go about selling these phones for such a loss, since you say that most new phones are purchased by people who already have ones.

Those phones look pretty cool however. Puts my Samsung SCH-6100 to shame, then again its 2 years old. I have a friend who is from Korea, and he tells me that the phones we have hear are phones that he saw there a few years ago, which I can believe!

And of course they are already moving past sms, yet i know of maybe one or two people that have even used sms here. i just don't see the point here of using sms, might as well call them . Those net speeds sure do look nice, and I could see that being useful if you brought the labtop in the park and hooked it up into your phone and was able to relax and use the computer at the park. however, i bet the companies here won't price it low enough for most people to use it for leisure.

-Matt
[text was edited by author 2002-01-28 22:14:37]

ultraman80
join:2001-07-26
Saint Paul, MN

ultraman80

Member

Re: Wow.

said by mattman:
And of course they are already moving past sms, yet i know of maybe one or two people that have even used sms here. i just don't see the point here of using sms, might as well call them .
Exactly what I thought before I started using them.
Using the phone to read email is actually very handy. A lot of people use it to receive email rather than send one. It beats having to boot up a PC or laptop and having to hook it up to phone jack or cell phone. By the time you get to your office you'll be done reading all email that came in during the night.
As for sending SMS, it depends on how you use it. Most kids do it to pass funny messages between friends or set up a date as well as talk. You can put frequently used messages (like "I'll meet you in front of Parco at 6:00 pm" in memory (actually some phones come with a default set of messages) and have it sent tapping only 3 keys.

To the kids who grew up with this stuff, its just another communication tool and its natural to them as TV.
And if you've every commuted in Tokyo, you'll know that reading a cell phone is much easier than trying to read a newspaper or book while being sardined into a train running at 150% capacity.

he he
@pool0.yokohama.att.n

he he to mattman4

Anon

to mattman4
I live in Tokyo and own a sony phone with most of the above options and an mp3 player (using a 64kb memory stick) I can tell you without a doubt, phones can cost more than 100 bucks easy. The newest imodes by docomo are running 200-300 dollars right now and the foma numbers are higher still. It is true however that most phones cost under 100 dollars.
he he

he he

Anon

Re: Wow.

oops "mp3" is misleading.. lets just call it a "network walkman" thats what sony calls it after all

Tom0
Premium Member
join:2000-09-10
Chicago, IL

Tom0

Premium Member

Ahh, I get it now..

THAT's where Justin was on vacation when DSLR was down.. .. just joking . Great article.

clyde_
It's A Chrysalis, Not A Cocoon
Premium Member
join:2001-05-02
Easley, SC

clyde_

Premium Member

No big surprise

It's no big surprise that Japan smokes the US when it comes to cellular technology and service. They probably don't have providers whose sole interests are controlling their own monopolies like the ones here. US providers don't seem to be able to work together very well. This leads to different types of standards, equipment, and service for each company. When several companies can't even agree on how to operate current technology, there's no chance of them agreeing on what future technology should be. I'm no expert on Japanese business practices, but they seem to be a lot better at working together to make standards and push technology forward.
IAmTheEvilest
There Is Nothing Like A Restart
join:2001-01-03
Milpitas, CA

IAmTheEvilest

Member

Re: No big surprise

Actually, all of the Japanese cellular providers use different technologies that do not work together at all, just like all of the American companies. All of the providers all trying to get more market share, and NTT DoCoMo has the greatest market share right now. None of the providers phones work with one another. Even China has better cellular phones in the larger cities! In America, all of the providers are talking about transitioning to a 2.5G system, while they already have it in China. In terms of personal electronic devices, America is far behind. Lets face it, even if those devices were available in the US today, we wouldn't keep on upgrading to the latest technology, even if it was cheap. As long as the demand isn't there, we won't be seeing any improvements.

ravenink
join:2000-10-29
Atlanta, GA

ravenink

Member

Re: No big surprise

actually I think the demand is pretty much there, especially with the new generation of .com kids like me. personally I upgrade my cell phone once every 6 months or so. Usually something will come along that is just well...NEAT and I want it If the technology was available and not extraordinarily expensive I think it would be huge if introduced in america. sadly I doubt we'll be seeing anything like that for the next 50 years. On another note is all japanese consumer technology that far advanced of american?? If it is I would seriously consider japan as one of my living choices in the next ten years.

Kangaroo8
join:2000-08-11
Peoria, AZ

Kangaroo8

Member

Imagine the this in America...

...with drivers ranging from unable to barely able to handle a voice conversation having the ability to stare at God knows what on a pretty colorful screen. Widespread death and destruction as vehicles careen out of control as Tom-The-Idiot-Salesman clicks through his email, or Sally-Soccer-Mom runs down the team watching DSLReports for news. Cats and dogs living together...real Wrath of God stuff.

The Japanese men are probably all just looking at Manga downloads.

Derek_Wildstar
Professional lurker
join:2001-02-24
Iscandar

Derek_Wildstar

Member

DoCoMo: America Strikes Out

Kangaroo, you have hit the nail on the head, my friend. I've read all the posts here from people saying "Gee, how come the Japanese are so much more advanced than we are?" and "Our cell systems suck", as well as "Why don't we have something that fun here?" Well, gang, the simple answer to these questions and many more lie within the minds and attitudes of the average American vs. the average Japanese.
FACT: The average Japanese uses some form of mass transit to get wherever they need to go, affording them the opportunity to use all the fun features of their i-mode phone. The average American drives to the corner store for a pack of cigarettes, let alone their daily commutes to work/day care/soccer practice, leaving little opportunity to use the intricate features of a phone.
FACT: The average Japanese is very receptive to new technology and will readily adapt if they see some new equipment that will enhance their lives or make them more productive. The average American (aside from the learned colleagues who frequent DSLR) can't be bothered to set the freaking clock on their VCR, much less learn how to read e-mail on their phone. How many of us can hear our mothers saying, "Why would I want to read e-mail/surf the web on my phone, honey? I just wanna make a call."
FACT: The average Japanese (actually, 39 million as of Jan. 2001 and adding 1.3 million/month) subscribes to DoCoMo Keitai. Yes, there are other cell-phone companies, but only DoCoMo has i-mode, which gives the average Japanese access to the Internet. Why is this important? Because the average Japanese doesn't have room in his/her home for a big, honkin' computer AND monitor AND keyboard AND mouse, and the average Japanese can't afford more than one telephone line, to say nothing of the per-minute charges on that line they have to surf the 'Net (unlike the average American). In other words, it's like AOL for Japan, in that it is the only way most people access the Internet. DoCoMo is also a completely packet-switched network, and users are charged in fractions of yen per packet sent, regardless of whether it's voice or data. Which leads me to another....
FACT: The average Japanese chooses DoCoMo Keitai because they like the total features and service, even in the seemingly-never-ending recession they've been mired in for years. The average American only cares about one thing when it comes to cell phones: price. Cell phone companies compete on a voice-service-benefits/plan-cost ratio. This one give unlimited local CALLS, whereas this one gives you unlimited nationwide CALLS, and this other one gives you unlimited nationwide and local CALLS on the weekends. Don't believe me? Ask your friendly neighborhood AT&T, Sprint or Verizon wireless salesperson how many people they've had who bought a phone from them for Web access compared to those who bought because they liked the calling plan they offer.
The bottom line is, for as neat as it is, I just don't think i-mode would go over as well in the U.S. as it has in Japan. We're two radically different cultures.

justin
..needs sleep
Mod
join:1999-05-28
2031
Billion BiPAC 7800N
Apple AirPort Extreme (2011)

justin

Mod

Re: DoCoMo: America Strikes Out

actually the competing japan networks also offer full internet access .. I'm not sure if they ALL do, but the popular ones do.. using a "au" flip phone, I brought up dslreports.com and was amazed to see the logo appear in color (and fill up the screen of course).. one could page through the home page, although there was a limit in size .. a yahoo page would work better ..

They can all send and receive email..

Not all japanese know how to operate all the features either, many just buy them for the style, or the color, or the size .. and don't touch much beyond voicemail and phone calls.

I don't buy that americans don't want this technology -- that was an old wives tale / excuse put out by Motorola execs (we're not making tiny phones cause americans like big heavy things -- BULL!). New phone envy spreads like wildfire in any country because people meet and dump their cell on the table .. many conversations start or finish with comparisons of my phone vs your phone. If the handsets were available for $1-$100, and it was easy to upgrade (activate the new phone at the store etc etc), people would respond. Americans are not tech luddites! -- they do after all buy up palm pilots, blackberry and motorola 2-way pagers in pretty large quantity.. hell, if those "quaint europeans" can build an exciting handset market, yanks can as well.

Derek_Wildstar
Professional lurker
join:2001-02-24
Iscandar

Derek_Wildstar

Member

Re: DoCoMo: America Strikes Out

Oh, I know some other Japanese wireless companies have Internet access on their phones, but only DoCoMo has i-mode; which means there are some sites you can only access with a DoCoMo Keitai. I was trying to draw a comparison between DoCoMo and AOL, in that there are some places you can only get to with an AOL Keyword. A perfect example of an i-mode optimized site is the one for Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis, [SHAMELESSCROSSPROMOTION] reference to which can be found in the DSLR Anime Forum [/SHAMELESSCROSSPROMOTION]. There is a game on Level 3 that can be played on an i-mode phone or on a PC with the Macromedia Flash plug-in.

BTW, I also didn't mean to imply that ALL Americans wouldn't want it. I just don't think that enough Americans would want it to justify the capital expenditure needed to upgrade the network, advertise the living h311 out of it and subsidize the cost of the units themselves as incentives for people to trade them out. Sure, your 18-24 demographic would go nuts for i-mode, but beyond that the American numbers get really sketchy very quickly.

If there was some established American company who would be willing to take that kind of risk in a sluggish economy to gain a foothold, it would certainly be speculative. Because, given the what's happened to the telecom market in the past 18 months, I don't expect you'll find too many venture capitalists willing to bet on that horse anytime soon.

justin
..needs sleep
Mod
join:1999-05-28
2031
Billion BiPAC 7800N
Apple AirPort Extreme (2011)

justin

Mod

Re: DoCoMo: America Strikes Out

said by Derek_Wildstar:
If there was some established American company who would be willing to take that kind of risk in a sluggish economy to gain a foothold, it would certainly be speculative. Because, given the what's happened to the telecom market in the past 18 months, I don't expect you'll find too many venture capitalists willing to bet on that horse anytime soon.

Fools! Idiots! Nincompoops! if only they would sort out the billing issue (i-mode style split with the site operator and handle the collection by adding to your phone bill) then sites would spring up immediately. A low cost site handing out low bandwidth information for small fees to thousands of subscribers can be profitable right out the gate.
Instead I've heard that when WAP looked like it was going to be big, telcos demanded a lionshare of any revenue that customers might end up paying for premium services -- wap!! stone dead..

Derek_Wildstar
Professional lurker
join:2001-02-24
Iscandar

Derek_Wildstar

Member

Re: DoCoMo: America Strikes Out

Heh, heh....funny how it all keeps coming back to the telcos, isn't it? If only more registered voters of this great nation would actually say something....

xentar
@rr.com

xentar

Anon

Re: DoCoMo: America Strikes Out

I would almost have to agree with the points Derek brought up. I have a StarTac from about 2yrs back which has no net access but I'm not loosing sleep over it. I have Net access almost anywhere I go; School (T3), Work(T1+), Home(cable w/3puters on LAN). So, unlike the Japanese society where a computer would be a luxury to have in the house (due to tight space), I have access anywhere anytime almost.
The main point is the mass transit part, it makes perfect sense.
Good analysis Derek.
napframe
join:2002-01-20
North Hollywood, CA

napframe to Derek_Wildstar

Member

to Derek_Wildstar
You are starting to sound like an undercover advertiser. Please keep all that damn advertising in Japan!

ultraman80
join:2001-07-26
Saint Paul, MN

ultraman80 to Derek_Wildstar

Member

to Derek_Wildstar
said by Derek_Wildstar:

FACT: The average Japanese (actually, 39 million as of Jan. 2001 and adding 1.3 million/month) subscribes to DoCoMo Keitai. Yes, there are other cell-phone companies, but only DoCoMo has i-mode, which gives the average Japanese access to the Internet. Why is this important? Because the average Japanese doesn't have room in his/her home for a big, honkin' computer AND monitor AND keyboard AND mouse, and the average Japanese can't afford more than one telephone line, to say nothing of the per-minute charges on that line they have to surf the 'Net (unlike the average American). In other words, it's like AOL for Japan, in that it is the only way most people access the Internet. DoCoMo is also a completely packet-switched network, and users are charged in fractions of yen per packet sent, regardless of whether it's voice or data.

Speaking from my experience living in Japan for 20+ years, I have to say I can't agree 100% with the above.
Yes, our houses are smaller than the average house in the U.S. but not to the point where we can't have a PC setup. Besides, most people who are worried about space will buy a laptop. As for internet access, we have T1 access at our workplace and schools and we do have access to broadband. Nifty-serve or YahooBB will gladly give you ADSL service for $30 a month and if you have to have multiple phone lines, its not expensive to have one especially if you compare it with a $100+ on your cell phone.
And we do have our share of people who are non-technical.

While I will certainly agree that commuting via public transportation gives incentive to use a cell phone, that doesn't hold true for people living outside of major metropolitan areas like Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka etc.
People in smaller cities can and will commute with their cars in these places because 1) public transportation is not that great (cities like Tokyo and Osaka are exceptions) 2) parking space is readily available and cheap
Yet the likelihood of a person using a cell phones in these cities are just as high.

There is a fundamental need to communicate with one another in Japanese society. If you look at all the occasions we are expected or obligated(mostly by tradition) to send a notice or card to your acquaintances this is very apparent, and the wide acceptance of cell phones is one of the symptoms of this.
The big thing before keitais (short for "keitai denwa" which means portable phone) was beepers with text messaging (they are called "pocket-bells" or "pokeberu" for short). Everybody from elementary school kids to office ladies were using it just like they do with SMS now. It came to the point where schools were banning kids from bringing them because they would be exchanging messages with one another (usually kids from other classes or schools) and disrupting class. And guess what? As these kids grew up to be twenty-somethings, cell phones and email became readily accessible and cheap.

I don't think that the average Japanese is technically inclined - no more so than the general public in the U.S. but people will incorporate just enough technology into their lives to benefit from it.
Many people I know who use the internet mainly for email don't feel the need for a full PC and internet capable cell phones fits their needs just right. If they want something more elaborate they can get a "pocket-board" like gizmo (a compact keyboard+screen gizmo for email).
Unlike PCs, these gizmos give you instant access to your email without having to wait for your PC to boot up or login. Besides, if you're going to be carrying it around anyway, why not have it do more things?
[text was edited by author 2002-01-30 03:09:18]

tonymaro
join:1999-12-09
White Sulphur Springs, WV

tonymaro to Kangaroo8

Member

to Kangaroo8

Re: Imagine the this in America...

said by Kangaroo:
...Widespread death and destruction as vehicles careen out of control as Tom-The-Idiot-Salesman clicks through his email,...
Hey, I resemble that remark!
xxx8
join:2000-10-15
Falls Church, VA

xxx8

Member

The good ol' days

I remember the days when we would all stand around the Fax machine and OOHHH and AAAhhh when a letter would spit out.

Reading that article makes me feel as if we are that far behind the curve.
mr2nut
join:2001-01-08
Fair Oaks, CA

mr2nut

Member

Why can't we have cool stuff here?

First, EXCELLENT article and pictures!!

I have always been jealous of the cool electronics and communication available in Japan. They are always ahead of us and most of the stuff we see never seems to make it to the USA. Why is that?

Those phones make my Audiovox CDM9000 look like a Speak-n-Spell in comparison. All I'd really like to see in my lifetime is an all-in-one device that fits in my pocket and I could take anywhere that:
Plays music, movies, accesses the Net/email, has a contact manager/organizer, and makes phone calls. Is that too much to ask for? And what's up with our bandwidth here? If I want to connect to the internet from my notebook using my cell phone, I'd be lucky to get a 14.4k connection - if any at all. They're getting 56k+?

Sorry.. bad mood.

NJBoricua75
Born And Raised
join:2000-09-13
Brooklyn, NY

NJBoricua75

Member

Re: Why can't we have cool stuff here?

said by mr2nut:
First, EXCELLENT article and pictures!!

I have always been jealous of the cool electronics and communication available in Japan. They are always ahead of us and most of the stuff we see never seems to make it to the USA. Why is that?
Sad isn't it? I'm lucky I own a Sanyo 5150. I think thats as close as I'm going to get for now. Sprint doesn't even have 3G yet. Supposedly Verizon started it today but they only have phone that works with it! The Kyocera. Oh well.

timcuth
Braves Fan
Premium Member
join:2000-09-18
Pelham, AL
Technicolor ET2251

timcuth

Premium Member

Re: Why can't we have cool stuff here?

If you read the articles describing the US rollout of 3G services, you should have noticed that they are not really 3G, at all. I have seen the term "2.5G" used by the tech writers. The newest US networks (including the Verizon one you mentioned) give speeds of up to about 150 kbps, but the writers say that you will see effective speeds of only 40 to 64 kbps. Certainly not "broadband wireless". True 3G should give speeds of about 384 kbps.

I know that, in my area, Cingular is planning to build out its 2.5G network (that they will call 3G) by the end of 2004. Where will Japan be by then?

We will never catch up and we aren't even trying to. The big question, to me, is, "Why don't the US companies want all that business?". Don't they see that consumers see them building networks for two years in the future that were obsolete a year ago? We don't buy much of it because we know they aren't providing the latest or even reasonably current technology.
xrobertcmx
Premium Member
join:2001-06-18
White Plains, MD

xrobertcmx to NJBoricua75

Premium Member

to NJBoricua75
Interesting I have a Kyocera with Sprint, love the phone. Pretty blue light and net access.

justin
..needs sleep
Mod
join:1999-05-28
2031
Billion BiPAC 7800N
Apple AirPort Extreme (2011)

justin to mr2nut

Mod

to mr2nut
If you pick one of the recent docomo 3G handsets, they're apparently getting 384k .. and whatever comes as a handset, comes as a data card for a PC as well, and/or comes with a link cable to join your laptop to the net.

What really irritates me is the insane battery life and weight advantages over there vs over here, and the price advantages of handsets. The only explanation I can think of is that Sanyo, Panasonic, Sony, National etc have been so obsessed with their home market that they compete on PCS and US Analog against Nokia and Motorola with their spare parts bins, and trainee designers..

I was told by a guy who works for Ericcson that the GSM conglomerate locked out the Japanese handset makers with obscene license fees for GSM chips, hence the domination so far of Nokia and Ericsson, and the high prices for handsets vs Japan .. but now we have Sanyo trying the PCS market with handsets like this 2.2oz model .. which although roughly equivalent to Japanese models of about 3 years ago still look modern here, but pricey from Sprint at $230..



And the SonyEriccson joint venture promises new better smaller phones (the Sony influence) for example the first color screen world GSM phone with bluetooth, only available retail in Europe now, but can already be bought on ebay, and works on VoiceStream, (but for the obscene price of $500):



But the basic problem still remains .. they get the cool stuff, and we get the hand-me-downs.

Starfish
Per Ardua Ad Astra

join:2000-12-28
Netherlands

Starfish to mr2nut

to mr2nut
Nice article!

Currently I'm working for a large TelCo in The Netherlands and I have had the chance to play around with a few phones..

They are really amazing and I can't wait for the moment they will be the first to have an European I-mode platform (in cooperation with NTT DoCoMo)..

It's amazing how much progress can still be made in this area

EDIT: I've used this model..
[text was edited by author 2002-01-29 14:10:13]

ultraman80
join:2001-07-26
Saint Paul, MN

ultraman80

Member

Battery Life

Battery life is something that really irritates me about the phones over here.
I used to use a Nokia NM502i from DoCoMo and its battery would last a week without re-charging. The motorola I'm using right now won't go beyond 2 days without re-charging.
Considering the size of the StarTac, I would expect it to last much longer.

fukitol
Solon for President
Premium Member
join:2001-06-11
PonziWorld

fukitol

Premium Member

Re: Battery Life

Want to know why the U.S. has bigger phones and less battery life on average than Japan does?

Most of Japan is very mountainous, so most of the population is crowded into the valleys and the coasts. In turn, population density in urban areas is much higher than it is in the U.S. Also, Japan is a much smaller country than the U.S., so it's much easier for a carrier to cover most of Japan.

These two conditions combine to make it profitable for a cell - that is, the area covered by one cell tower - to be much smaller on average than it is in the U.S. This means less distance for signals to travel between phones and cell towers.

The amount of power needed for a signal to travel a particular distance is roughly proportional to the square of that distance. So, if the signal needs to travel 1/2 the distance, it needs 1/4 the power; 1/3 the distance, 1/9 the power; and so on. Less power needed, means batteries and antennae can be smaller.

The networks are probably all-digital in Japan, too, unlike the digital-analog hybrids we see here (digital in some areas, analog for other areas that see less cell-phone use). Analog uses much more power than digital does, IIRC.

ultraman80
join:2001-07-26
Saint Paul, MN

ultraman80

Member

Thanks for the info.
I've always figured it had to do with signal power.
The phone I use is from Verizon and they use CDMA which to my understanding increases its power to catch weak signals.
And your right, analog coverage is all but disappeared in Japan and consequently they don't use digital-analog hybrid phones over there.
Jacob
join:2000-11-28
San Jose, CA

Jacob

Member

Cool!

Nice article, Justin! We could use some more "pictorial reports" .

Yeah, it's weird how we get the 'hand-me-downs,' which they are loafing away with pure bliss.

nekote
join:2000-12-16
Hopkinton, MA

nekote

Member

The battle for the eyeballs

Justin,

Pretty straightforward and elegant report.

Especially the enhancements to the photos
pointing out Intel's former CEO Andy Groves quote:
"It's the battle for the eyeballs".

Hand held audio and video.

Anybody remember Dick Tracy and his wrist phone?
Bobcat79
Premium Member
join:2001-02-04

Bobcat79

Premium Member

I don't have a cellphone

And I think their use should be banned in public, just like public smoking.

••••••
kaila
join:2000-10-11
Lincolnshire, IL

kaila

Member

About battery life.

What battery technology do they use to get those unbelievable battery life times without the weight while powering color screens? Incorporating that technology alone into our current phones would be a good first step.

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DataDoc
My avatar looks like me, if I was 2D.
Premium Member
join:2000-05-14
Hedgesville, WV

DataDoc

Premium Member

OT:Jeez, no zoning laws about signage in Japan?

Not too many billboards on those buildings, are there?

justin
..needs sleep
Mod
join:1999-05-28
2031
Billion BiPAC 7800N
Apple AirPort Extreme (2011)

justin

Mod

Re: OT:Jeez, no zoning laws about signage in Japan?

there are building standards galore but no apparent limit on signs or street furniture.. Outside busy shopping districts, the sky is a maze of cables and heavily piggy-backed utility poles thanks the push for cable and broadband .. at night some shopping streets blaze a literal wall-to-sky carpet of neon and jumbo video screens.

Its really a part of the bladerunner flavor of the place, if you want to see what signage rules do to the character of a city go visit singapore at night .. dull dull dull (but they recognized their mistake and are relenting).

In a really big earthquake, standing in a sign heavy street may not be a bright idea.

juicelee
Premium Member
join:2000-12-04
Hacienda Heights, CA

juicelee

Premium Member

Another area that japan is ahead

When I visited japan a few months ago, I was already expecting to see lots of tiny, fully featured cell phones (my college roommate had spent a semester there and told me all about them). What surprised me was that almost all the TVs there were either HDTV sets, plasma displays, or LCDs. They probably laugh at our sony trinitrons.

justin
..needs sleep
Mod
join:1999-05-28
2031

justin

Mod

Re: Another area that japan is ahead

yeah most people buy wide-screen TVs and have for years .. hardly a 4:3 one there.

towatana
join:2001-06-20
San Jose, CA

towatana

Member

Re: Another area that japan is ahead

Funny thing is, most of the programs are still 4:3 based and all the characters on 16:9 looks.. fat LOL.
BTW, gas-plasma is still very expensive in Japan, too. i don't think it's a purely consumer product yet.

Techie2000
In Vertigo
Premium Member
join:2001-12-05

Techie2000

Premium Member

Starbucks

Is that a TV a la Times Square on that Starbucks?!

justin
..needs sleep
Mod
join:1999-05-28
2031
Billion BiPAC 7800N
Apple AirPort Extreme (2011)

justin

Mod

Re: Starbucks

Yeah.. starbucks is big in Japan now! .. they are killing the local chains which had become tired (smoky, few fancy choices on the menu) .. AND a japanese starbucks is not like the ones in new york city! service is excellent! staff are not chatting to each other, mis-calling your order etc.

wzoo1
join:2001-06-28
MI, USA

wzoo1

Member

Those cell phones ARE SO COOL!

I just hard Verizon is launching a 3G network in partnership with NTTDoCoMO! How cool! They should add mp3 capability! And for more info visit NTTDoCoMos US website about rolling out their service:
»www.nttdocomo.com

Now, that makes me jelous of me wanting one with service in the U.S...

Hipstir
@208.236.x.x

Hipstir

Anon

Could those phones work here?

Most likely the phones in Japan are using GSM. If that is case, then would it be possible to use one of their phones with a service provider that uses GSM such as Verizon Wireless here in the states? So far I believe that Verizon, Cingular, and ATT(Soon) are or will be supporting GSM.

juicelee
Premium Member
join:2000-12-04
Hacienda Heights, CA

juicelee

Premium Member

Re: Could those phones work here?

I think cingular uses GSM already. I doubt that japanese standards would be compatible with american ones. Heck, look at our own market. Some ATT phones don't work with some cingular's service, which in turn doesn't work with sprint phones.
[text was edited by author 2002-01-29 17:24:10]
mcaslan
join:2000-06-17
Baltimore, MD

mcaslan

Member

Wrong idea about american telcos...

I agree with much of what is being said here and too spent 5 weeks in Tokyo this past spring 2001. While the lifestyle of a public transportation commuter supports cellular much more than a driver, irrespective of what may be possible it won't happen here for a while...

Our telco executives are too ignorant of the opportunities of building a network with features.

CDMA was built by Telcos as a way to get more out of less. While GSM was good, the telcos invested Billions and nearly went to vapor when CDMA early stages was not producing. At the critical junctures the market splintered to GSM, TDMA, and CDMA...

WAP was a cheap way to hype the customer without any real useful or functional interface. I used WAP all of about 5 time when I was waiting bored, it was even more boring than waiting being bored...

Our phones are big and clunky, and based on ancient designs and perceptions that we want big phones like big cars...SUV's of the world phones...

The failure to develop Cellular systems is no different to the failure to develop telecom networks. DSL, Broadband, Northpoint, Rhythms, Covad, Global Crossing.

Come on Hutchinsons Wampoa. Deliver your magic to America as you did with Orange in the UK. Please come and build us the best and with a clean brand image and we will adopt it in masses...

jing
@dialup.mindspring.co

jing

Anon

Better Japan phones b/c smaller coverage area,

The phones in japan are faster, never get cut off, have superior battery life is because the country is so small. The Telcos only have to build out networks covering a very small area therefore, the signal is exponentially greater than that we get. Thus is takes very little power to run that phone. They can build out 3G networks in a matter of months because again the coverage is small. So its not a matter of Japanese magic that allows them to do this, they simply have the size advantage.

justin
..needs sleep
Mod
join:1999-05-28
2031
Billion BiPAC 7800N
Apple AirPort Extreme (2011)

justin

Mod

Re: Better Japan phones b/c smaller coverage area,

No I don't buy this. Digital networks and phones on standby are receiving, not transmitting.. so no matter how big the cells are, it is possible to have a handset that is both small and frugal on battery life.

The fact that some PCS and GSM handsets in the US are both small and have fairly good screens means that it is possible.. it only takes one 2 oz US phone to prove that it can be done.. they exist: the GSM 8xxx series nokias and the Sprint Sanyos are the kind of handsets that could have existed several years ago if the japanese players had an interest in the market.

the real reason is the market for cellphones seems still relatively strangled by the providers here in terms of both costs and network features, thus there are few incentives for both customers and handset makers to step up to the plate.. what we have is a vicious circle (slow adoption of new tech slows demand), whereas in Asia, Japan and in Europe there is more of a virtuous circle in operation (demand drives features which drives demand..)

antiserious
The Future ain't what it used to be
Premium Member
join:2001-12-12
Scranton, PA

antiserious

Premium Member

... Cell use while driving ...

... this was a great piece, very informative ... but it made me wonder ... how many of you favor the ban on cell phone use while driving ? ... seems we view driving as a right, and resent any restrictions on what we can and can't do ... I don't think most people are good drivers anyway, or maybe not attentive drivers, and it concerns me when I see phones in use so much ...

... also, why is it that so many people feel the need to LOOK at the person sitting 2 feet away from them while speaking, instead of, oh the ROAD ? ... any chance they don't know you're talking to them ? ...

... sorry for the rant, pet peeve ... ...

Derek_Wildstar
Professional lurker
join:2001-02-24
Iscandar

Derek_Wildstar

Member

Re: ... Cell use while driving ...

said by antiserious:
why is it that so many people feel the need to LOOK at the person sitting 2 feet away from them while speaking, instead of, oh the ROAD ? ... any chance they don't know you're talking to them ?
For the same reason people say "Bless you" when someone sneezes. They know that your spirit isn't trying to leave your body when you sneeze; they only know that it's polite to say it. Just like when you have a conversation with someone, it is polite to look at them when you are talking to them.

Is it safe? No, but we all have some behavioral quirks that have been drilled into us since childhood. You'll just have to be patient with the rest of us.

Spatch
Stugots
Premium Member
join:2001-06-29
Savannah, GA

Spatch

Premium Member

Uh...... They can keep em!!

Let em keep this crap in Japan. Dont need it dont want it!!
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