NTT Docomo's winter lineup arrives, includes Sony Xperia Z1 mini and Samsung Galaxy J

As is tradition this time of year, NTT Docomo's annual winter/spring lineup has just fallen in our laps, unveiling a slew of devices that includes ten smartphones, a tablet, two feature phones, a photo panel and two mobile WiFi routers. On the smartphone front, several standouts include the new LG G2, the Galaxy Note 3, the Sony Xperia Z1, the Sony Xperia Z1 f and the odd Japan-only Samsung Galaxy J. The latter two are of particular interest, as this marks their first official unveiling. The Xperia Z1 f is essentially a miniaturized Xperia Z1 -- it has a 4.3-inch screen instead of a 5-inch one -- and packs in specs that are similar to its bigger brother, such as a 2.2GHz MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 processor and a 20.7-megapixel camera. The Galaxy J, meanwhile, has a 5-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display, a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 processor and a 13.2-megapixel camera.

For fans of Disney and Square Enix, there's a special Disney branded phone from Fujitsu plus a Dragon Quest handset that's really just a rebranded Sharp Aquos Zeta. The latter is pre-installed with Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King and is limited to just 30,000 units. The lone tablet on the list is a 10.1-inch Fujitsu Arrows Tab, which happens to be both water- and dust-proof. All smartphones and the tablet are compatible with Docomo's high-speed Xi LTE service, several of which are capable of hitting the 150Mbps maximum download speed. They also come equipped with long-lasting batteries, quad-core CPUs and the docomo LIVE UX home screen application.

Though not listed as part of the 16 devices in the release, NTT Docomo also added a couple of wearables to its winter lineup -- the new Samsung Galaxy Gear and a wrist device called "move band" that tracks steps, calorie consumption and sleep hours. All of them are slated to arrive on or after October 11th, though we should note that the Xperia Z1 mini won't arrive until the end of December. If you wish to find out more details on what the Japanese carrier has to offer this holiday season, go on and hit the source link below.

 

Press Release

NTT DOCOMO Unveils 16 New Mobile Devices
- Unique New Features Meet Diverse Mobile Needs -
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Products & Services
TOKYO, JAPAN, October 10, 2013 --- NTT DOCOMO, INC., a personalized mobile solutions provider for smarter living, unveiled today its 2013 winter/2014 spring lineup of mobile devices - including 10 smartphones, one tablet, two feature phones, one photo panel and two mobile Wi-Fi® routers - which will launch in Japan on or after October 11. The new collection satisfies the mobile needs of a broad range of customers, from experienced smartphone users to conventional feature phone users.
Some of the many special features of DOCOMO's new lineup are as follows:
Nine smartphones and one tablet with 2,000mAh or greater large-capacity batteries for 50-72 hours, or longer, of typical usage for browsing, app use and talk time.
All smartphones and tablet compatible with DOCOMO's extra-high-speed XiTM LTE service, with eight models capable of 150Mbps maximum downlink in the 1.7GHz band.
First two mobile Wi-Fi routers equipped for Xi LTE service for maximum downlink of 150Mbps and Wi-Fi in the stable 5GHz band.
Nine smartphones and one tablet equipped with enhanced, energy-efficient single chip quad-core CPUs for maximized enjoyment of high-quality mobile games and video.
Nine smartphones and one tablet installed with docomo LIVE UXTM home screen application for seamless access between home screens and app list, and user-customized information and content displayed in a unique magazine format.
Nine smartphones and one tablet offering easy setup of new "docomo ID" universal user authentication, which works with multiple devices, operators and networks for convenient access to email, cloud address book and other DOCOMO mobile services.
Two collaboration smartphones featuring special designs and content created respectively with The Walt Disney Company (Japan) Ltd. and SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD., maker of best-selling role-playing game DRAGON QUEST®. SH-01F DRAGON QUEST, installed with "DRAGON QUEST VIII: Journey of the Cursed King®," is limited to 30,000 units.
Second model in smartphone series tailored specifically for pre-teens, and two feature phones for conventional mobile users.
The 2013 winter/2014 spring lineup also includes wearable devices, including the wristwatch-type GALAXY Gear for voice calls and emailing when synchronized with a GALAXY smartphone, and the wristband-type "move bandTM" for easy recording and tracking of health data, such as daily walking steps, calorie consumption and sleep hours.
Launch dates and detailed specifications for all models are listed in the attachment.

Source: NTT Docomo