On May 29, SOFTBANK MOBILE and WILLCOM announced a lineup for the 2011 summer sales season. WILLCOM has been under the umbrella of the Softbank Group since its bankruptcy, and this was the first time that they held a joint presentation.
So far, various themes have been raised at SOFTBANK MOBILE recitals, but this time, the 900MHz band allocated in February this year was named the "Platinum Band", and a lineup of terminals compatible with this band was announced. Together, they are appealing, "Aiming to be a SoftBank that can be connected anywhere." The detailed contents of the presentation are explained in the report of this magazine, so please refer to it, but here, I will explain the contents of the presentation and how to understand the whole as seen by the author's eyes.
There is no need to explain again, but mobile phones use radio waves to make calls and communicate. is what makes it possible. As with the current mobile phone service in Japan, as terminals and service content become more sophisticated and closely related to other industries, it is becoming difficult to easily judge the superiority or inferiority of each company's mobile phone service. Ultimately, however, the evaluation of mobile phone operators depends on how well they can use these "radio waves." No matter how easy the terminal is to use, how fun the content is, how convenient the service is, and how reasonable the fee structure is, if the terminal cannot connect to the network, the mobile phone service will not be established.
SOFTBANK MOBILE has not been sufficiently evaluated among users in this "connection" part. Since entering the mobile phone business with the acquisition of Vodafone's Japanese subsidiary in 2006, it has had a major impact on the industry in various ways, such as the "White Plan" for billing measures and the "iPhone" for terminals. On the other hand, in terms of "connection", it has not been able to catch up with the top two companies, and users have always given harsh evaluations.
One of the reasons for this lack of connection is that the base station network built by the Japanese subsidiary of Vodafone, which was acquired, was not sufficient, but in March 2010 this was recovered. To this end, we have put up the “SoftBank Signal Improvement Declaration”. The company revealed plans to increase capital investment ahead of schedule and double the number of base stations, but it has not been able to overturn the evaluation. Of course, the situation has not improved, and depending on the location, it has become possible to connect to places that were previously unreachable, and there are places where SoftBank is connected even if other companies are not. However, it is difficult to overturn the image that users once had, and SoftBank cannot necessarily develop networks under the same conditions as other companies. ing.
It is expected that the situation in which Softbank will be placed will be greatly improved. is the "platinum band," which was the main keyword in this announcement, that is, the license for the 900MHz band assigned in February this year. Initially, SoftBank provided services only in the "2.1 GHz band" (often referred to as the 2 GHz band in Japan), which was assigned to Vodafone Japan as an international common band for 3G services. On the other hand, NTT DoCoMo has been allocated the 800MHz and 1.7GHz bands (only in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka) in addition to the 2.1GHz band, and au has also provided 3G services in the 2.1GHz and 800MHz bands. SoftBank received a 1.5GHz band allocation after the PDC 2G service ended, but was unable to receive a 700-900MHz band allocation, which is said to be advantageous for mobile phone services. It was not possible to create a “connected” state.
By the way, if you review the characteristics of each frequency band, in general, the higher the frequency band, the stronger the straightness, and the shadows that radio waves cannot reach in urban areas and mountainous areas. tend to be lost. On the other hand, the low frequency band has the characteristic of being easy to cover a wide area because the radio waves reach behind buildings and mountainous areas. It may be difficult to get a good picture from the perspective of radio waves, but speakers for audio equipment that produce high-pitched sounds have clear directivity, so the orientation of the speaker is important, whereas a woofer that produces low-pitched sounds is important. It may be a little easier to understand if you apply it to an example where you don't have to think too much about the installation direction because the sound wraps around. However, it is not the case that the lower the frequency band, the better. Considering factors such as communication speed, the band around 700 to 900 MHz has been considered suitable for mobile phone services.
In addition, there is a background that Softbank had to receive an allocation for the other 900MHz band. This is because Apple's iPhone 4S and iPad (3rd generation), which are one of SoftBank's main products, are compatible with the 900MHz band. That's why, until the allocation of the 900MHz band was decided, we repeatedly made statements appealing for the legitimacy of the allocation to our company in various ways, and worked on capital investment ahead of schedule. Considering the equal footing of the frequency bands allocated to each mobile phone operator, it can be said that the allocation to SoftBank was a natural flow, but the front-loading of capital investment etc. It was an expression of his unbelievable enthusiasm.
In February of this year, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications successfully allocated the 900 MHz band. Softbank has announced that it will name this "Platinum Band" and start using it from July 25th. As compatible terminals, 4 smartphones and 3 feature phones have been announced this time, and 10 models including the iPhone 4S/iPhone 4/iPad (3rd generation) that are already on sale have been added, for a total of 17 models. to start service development in the platinum band. By the way, for services using the platinum band, since the already introduced communication method "HSPA+" is adopted, there is no need to change any settings on the terminal side, and within the area of 900MHz compatible base stations If so, you can use it as is. However, only 17 models of compatible terminals, including the summer model, can be used, and most of the models before the spring model of this year cannot be used, and support such as version upgrades is also planned. do not have. In the past, when NTT Docomo started developing the FOMA Plus area using the 800MHz band, when people tried to use it in the suburbs, people with compatible models could connect, but people with non-compatible models could not. , There is a high possibility that there will be a big difference in the area that can be used depending on whether Softbank supports platinum bands or not. However, as touched upon at the presentation this time, platinum bands will not be available in all areas nationwide from July 25th. The plan is to expand the number of stations to 16,000 by the end of 2012, so it can be said that if you buy a compatible model within a year or so, you can make it in time.
In any case, by receiving the allocation of the 900 MHz band and quickly expanding the lineup of compatible models, SoftBank's evaluation of finally being connected is as President Masayoshi Son said at the presentation, "Excuse It can be said that it has become a situation where it is impossible to Attention will be paid to how the user's evaluation will change after the start of operation of the 900MHz band scheduled for July 25th.
[Apology and Correction 2012/05/31 20:35] When the article first appeared, there was an error in the name of the communication method introduced in the 900MHz band. We apologize and will correct it.
So far, Softbank has come up with various measures to compete with NTT Docomo and au, but in terms of the number of models and color variations to be announced, it has developed a lineup that is as good as the other two companies. I've been However, since around last year, the device lineup has been narrowed down little by little, and this time a total of 9 models, 4 smartphones, 3 feature phones, and 2 mobile Wi-Fi routers, were announced. It's not a matter of having a large number of models, but rather than developing a rich lineup like it was for a while, it seems that it is ready to develop only terminals that can really be expected by users and sell.
The summer model lineup consists of 4 smartphones, 3 feature phones, and 2 mobile Wi-Fi routers. While NTT Docomo has had a lineup of only smartphones and tablets, Softbank has added a lineup that includes feature phones, just like au. Considering that there was one model in the lineup of the winter 2011 to spring 2012 model in September last year, there are two models of mobile Wi-Fi routers. It seems that the intention is to actively develop data communication services for However, it was a topic that was asked in the question and answer session at the presentation, but if there are so many mobile Wi-Fi routers in the lineup, it may be time to lift the ban on smartphone tethering like other companies. In particular, considering that the 900MHz band has been allocated, it is time to show users some kind of answer.
| 102HW | 102Z |
By manufacturer, Sharp has the most models with 5, followed by Panasonic, Fujitsu, Huawei, and ZTE with 1 model each. supply one by one. Of these, the most notable is the presence of Fujitsu. Fujitsu originally supplied terminals to NTT DoCoMo, and after integrating Toshiba's mobile phone business, entered the au market, and finally decided to supply ARROWS brand smartphones to Softbank. By the way, the "ARROWS A 101F" announced this time will be Fujitsu's first terminal for Softbank, but Fujitsu had supplied it around the end of the 1990s in the era of digital phones before Vodafone and J-Phone. In that sense, it can be seen as a resurrection for the first time in more than ten years.
By the way, regarding the summer model of au and NTT DoCoMo, there is a global shortage of the fourth-generation "S4" baseband chipset of the US Qualcomm chipset "Snapdragon", and even in the production of terminals. I mentioned that it is affected, but in the case of Softbank, the ULTRA SPEED service uses DC-HSPA, so the chip called "MSM8260A" will be directly affected. This time, only "AQUOS PHONE Xx 106SH" adopts this chip, and Fujitsu's "ARROWS A 101F" adopts "MSM8960" common with "REGZA Phone T-02D" for NTT DoCoMo.
Individual terminals will be described later, but what attracted attention in terms of functionality would be the radiation measurement function installed in "PANTONE 5 107SH". In response to the accident at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake last year, there is growing concern about contamination from radioactive substances, but smartphones equipped with radiation measurement functions are said to help people live with a little more peace of mind. It's an effort. There are many commercially available radiation measuring devices, but if you install it in something you always carry around, such as a mobile phone or smartphone, you can take measurements at any time, and you can also add location information using GPS.
It is certainly wonderful to add a model with these functions to the lineup, but the problem is what to do with the measured data. This time, it seems that cooperation with social services was postponed in consideration of reputational damage, but as a fundamental problem, it is not very clear what to do when the measured value is high. I would also like to see a mechanism for providing proper information to users, including aspects.
WILLCOM, which has joined the SoftBank Group, is also a summer model at this recital. Announced one smartphone and two feature phones. WILLCOM's lineup includes an increasing number of unique models, including the "Strap phone WX03A" and "Yedenwa WX02A" announced last year, but this time, the PHS that was announced last year when it entered the SoftBank Group. "DIGNO DUAL WX04K", which combines Softbank's 3G service, was also announced. Speaking of the combination of PHS and mobile phone, WILLCOM's "HYBRD W-ZERO3" is fresh in my memory, but going back, NTT DoCoMo's "Dottimo" series was also a popular series, and this time DIGNO DUAL WX04K is HYBRID W -It will be a dual mode terminal since ZERO3. The contents will be described later, but products that make use of the networks of these two companies will be of great interest to users.
In terms of design and design, the “PANTONE WX01SH”, which combines the resources of both companies, is also an interesting model. Speaking of the PANTONE series, Softbank's popular series with a wide variety of color variations inherits the concept and body design as it is, and the contents are composed of PHS.
In addition to this, the expansion of "Movie LIFE" and the start of "Sports LIFE" were announced as services for smartphones, but the video distribution service was also announced for feature phones in the summer of 2009. We have a track record of providing videos, etc., and expectations are high for the development of a wealth of content. However, both services are basically provided for smartphones, and an approach to deploying to multiple devices like au has not been proposed, and the contents of the provided content are not very appealing.
About sports LIFE, we have our own professional baseball team, so I can understand the story that "even if the digest of the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks is played on TV, you can fully enjoy it with a smartphone", but rather. I think we should increase the variety of digests, including sports in categories that are not often seen on television broadcasts, rather than sports that can be seen on TV as much as baseball.
Now, let's talk about smartphones and feature phones among the 12 models of Softbank and WILLCOM announced this time, based on the impressions of touch and try. However, since they are all products under development and some of them were mock-ups, we do not have enough information and there may be differences from the actual products. In addition, detailed report articles for each terminal have already been published in this magazine, so please take a look at that as well.
[Softbank]
The first "PANTONE" series that has provided SoftBank's rich color variations on feature phones smartphone. Equipped with a "radiation measurement function" using a newly developed sensor, you can immediately measure by simply pressing and holding the button on the front of the main unit. The body width is 58 mm, which is compact and easy to hold for women's hands. PANTONE-like colors are limited to the back panel and front buttons, but depending on the color, the impression is quite noticeable. At the time of release, we are considering a discounted price plan or sales measures through campaigns. All smartphones and feature phones announced this time are compatible with the platinum band, but among the four smartphone models, only the PANTONE 5 107SH does not support ULTRA SPEED, and supports HSDPA at a maximum of 14 Mbps when receiving and 5.7 Mbps when sending. It's becoming The user interface is set as standard with "Feel UX" installed in Sharp terminals this summer. Although only the radiation measurement function is attracting attention, it is a model that can be recommended for users who want a compact and easy-to-use smartphone.
High-end model positioned as a flagship in SoftBank's lineup this summer. Equipped with a 4.7-inch Super CG Silicon liquid crystal capable of HD display, and equipped with Snapdragon's S4 (fourth generation) MSM8260A / 1.5 GHz. Like "AQUOS PHONE ZETA SH-09D" for NTT Docomo and "AQUOS PHONE SERIE ISW16SH" for au, it is finished with a narrow frame, so despite having a large screen display size. However, the body width is kept to 67mm. The response of the touch panel utilizes the direct tracking technology of AQUOS PHONE 104SH, and although it was said that it was still being tuned, basically it can be used without stress. Like other Sharp summer models, the home app is preset with a 3-line home called "Feel UX" so that users who use smartphones for the first time can use it without stress, but they have already used existing Android smartphones. "SH Home" will also be installed for those users. It basically covers all required specifications such as One Seg, Osaifu-Keitai, infrared communication, and waterproofing, so it can be said that it is the one that is likely to become the most popular.
The first Fujitsu smartphone for SoftBank Mobile. In addition to firmly supporting Japanese specifications such as waterproofing, one-segment, Osaifu-Keitai, infrared communication, etc., the back is equipped with a fingerprint sensor familiar with Fujitsu terminals. The specifications and design are almost the same as "REGZA Phone T-02D" for NTT Docomo, and the home application is preset by Fujitsu's original "NX! Comfort UI". "Intellicolor" that adjusts the color of the display according to the brightness of the surroundings, "ON while holding" that does not turn off the display while holding it in hand, etc. are installed in Fujitsu terminals for other companies this summer. Proprietary features are also supported. The display uses a 4.3-inch NEW AMOLED plus (organic EL), but the resolution is QHD with a 960 x 540 dot display, and the specs are a little lower than this summer's high-end model. However, there are some parts that are one step ahead of other models, such as wireless LAN that supports IEEE802.11a that supports the 5 GHz band, Bluetooth that supports 4.0, and a camera that uses a back-illuminated CMOS sensor with 13.1 million pixels. Attention will be paid to how the REGZA Phone, which has gained popularity for NTT Docomo and au, will be accepted by Softbank users.
Based on the "AQUOS PHONE 102SH" released last December, July this year A model compatible with the platinum band that will be deployed from. The only difference from the conventional model is that it supports emergency bulletin emails in addition to the platinum band, and the platform continues to be equipped with Android 2.3. However, the version upgrade to Android 4.0 is scheduled after this summer. In terms of specs, "AQUOS PHONE Xx 106SH" leads, but half a year has passed since the base model was released, and users who want a sense of stability can choose this option. Naturally, the price is also expected to be reasonable.
The latest model of Softbank's popular lineup "THE PREMIUM" series, which is on par with PANTONE, 2010 It is positioned as the successor model of "THE PREMIUM7 WATERPROOF 004SH" announced as a winter model. Only the mockup was exhibited this time. The basic concept and design are inherited as they are, with additions such as platinum band support and emergency bulletin mail support, changes in the design of the top panel and seven color variations are different. It's a little disappointing that Wi-Fi is no longer supported, but now that smartphones are at their peak, in a sense, it is a high-spec feature phone that can be said to be rare, and users who still want to continue using feature phones It seems like a very attractive model.
The successor to the "COLOR LIFE 2 002P" announced as the winter 2010 model. While inheriting the basic body design, etc., it corresponds to the platinum band, the camera is enhanced to 5.1 million pixels, and the design around the logo on the top panel has also been changed. While the previous model had a lineup of 15 colors, this time it has been narrowed down to 8 colors. However, even if the color name is the same, the actual body color has a slightly different impression from the conventional model. It is a model for users who want cost performance, color variations, and design in feature phones.
The latest model of Softbank's mobile phone for seniors, "Easy Mobile". It is positioned as a successor model to the "Easy Mobile 008SH" announced as the summer 2011 model. The specifications of the display and camera have not changed, but the "triple clear talk" that makes it easier to hear the other party's voice during a call is newly installed, and it also supports the platinum band and emergency breaking news mail. Features such as large, easy-to-press buttons, one-touch communication "Rakutomo Button," and automatic sending of e-mails to designated family members, such as "I read you e-mail" and "I'm fine, e-mail," are features that have been highly rated for seniors in previous models. The specifications are inherited as they are.
[WILLCOM]
Willcom's first Android smartphone equipped with PHS and Softbank's 3G. Although it is a so-called dual-mode machine, PHS supports only voice communication, and data communication is only available with 3G. Voice calls using 3G are also possible, but 21 yen is charged for 30 seconds, and free calls such as the White Plan are not applied. PHS voice calls can be made free of charge under certain conditions as long as you have a flat-rate contract with anyone. Phone numbers are assigned to both PHS and 3G, and both can be on standby at the same time. The baseband chipset uses the same Renesas dual-core MP5225/1.2GHz as the same Kyocera smartphone "HONEY BEE 101K" announced last year. The display is a 4.0-inch wide VGA, and the body size is standard size. The impression is similar in size to "URBANO PROGRESSO" supplied by Kyocera for au. It's a very unique and interesting terminal as a concept, but it seems to be a barrier when existing WILLCOM users migrate. The newly provided "@wcm.ne.jp" will be used. If you set forwarding from the conventional "pdx.ne.jp", you can receive mail, but it is not possible to send and receive with the conventional mail address even though it is provided by the same business operator. I have to say that it is a very unfriendly specification. I don't know how many users of the pdx.ne.jp domain remain, but it seems that this restriction could reduce the attractiveness of the terminal by half depending on the user.
This is a PHS terminal targeting senior users. Based on the "WX01K" released last year, the menu structure and button design have been changed, and improvements such as the ability to change the character size greatly have been added, making it an easy-to-use terminal for active senior users in their 50s and 60s. , is finishing. Voice support functions such as "slow call" and "clear call" are also available. WILLCOM's voice terminal was expected to be a terminal for seniors that takes advantage of the features of PHS, such as good sound quality, low power consumption, and low electromagnetic waves, but finally a terminal that meets the needs of such users has appeared. It's an impression.
A PHS terminal that inherits the concept of SoftBank's popular lineup "PANTONE" series. The design inherits the "PANTONE 3 001SH" announced as a winter model in 2010, and it seems that the mold of the body is basically used as it is. The familiar arcridge key has also been inherited from Sharp terminals, giving the impression that it is very easy to press and operate. The external connection terminal is also the same as Softbank's feature phone, and you will use an AC adapter for Softbank and NTT DoCoMo. Since the same body parts can be used, some cost reduction can be expected, but the internal hardware and software have been newly developed. Sharp, which was in charge of development, originally developed PHS terminals for NTT Docomo and NTT Personal, but it is the first time for WILLCOM, which follows the flow of DDI Pocket, except for the W-ZERO3 series. . By the way, while the W-ZERO3 series was developed at Sharp's Yamatokoriyama, this time's PANTONE WX01SH seems to have been in charge of the Higashi-Hiroshima office, just like mobile phones and smartphones for Softbank. This model is recommended for users who want a PHS terminal that brings out the quality and taste of mobile phones.
As explained at the beginning, mobile phone services are made up of various elements such as terminals, services, content, and price plans, but ultimately, "whether or not it can be connected" is the lifeline. If this cannot be achieved, users will not follow no matter how wonderful terminals and services are provided. So far, Softbank has not been able to get a good reputation from users in terms of "connecting", but with the allocation of the 900MHz band in February this year, we were able to create an environment that is equal footing with NTT Docomo and au. . And although the number of models in this announcement is small, we immediately added a platinum band compatible model to the lineup, giving us the impression that we are finally preparing an environment to compete with other companies in earnest.
Of course, we will be rolling out base stations one after another, but the fact that we have created an environment that is on par with other companies is a great pleasure for SoftBank users. However, looking at the flip side, this also means that, as Son himself said, an environment in which “excuses cannot be excused” has been created. It is easy to imagine that the situation will be such that the excuses that have been used so far are no longer accepted, and users will demand the same quality as other companies. It may take about a year for the effect of the platinum band to be demonstrated, but I really hope that users will say, "You've become able to connect." I would like to get a platinum band compatible model as soon as possible.
Also, WILLCOM has a lineup of terminals that are unique and show the user base. In addition to this, it seems that the lineup is attractive not only to existing users but also to new users who want to use “flat rate with anyone”. I have to say that the DIGNO DUAL email address is quite disappointing, but as a user, I am happy that a type of smartphone that other companies do not have has appeared.
By the way, the models announced this time will be on sale sequentially from June. Some models will be released in September, and as explained in the presentation report of NTT Docomo and au this summer, the supply of baseband chipsets is not good, so the release schedule may be delayed depending on the model. might wake up In addition, it seems that more users will switch from feature phones to smartphones this summer than ever before, but we recommend that you gather enough information and try out the actual device at a store before purchasing. In the future, we plan to publish developer interviews and reviews in this magazine, so please take a look at those as well. I would like you to carefully consider and find one that "connects" for you.
