The coming invasion of awesome Japanese cell phones

If you are a phone geek, you know Japan’s cellphones are the bee’s knees. Way ahead of the phones we use in the US and Europe, Japan leads the way in innovation, yet can’t seem to capitalize on those advantages. The problem: advanced hardware.

What makes hardware the problem? Software. In Japan, software on phones is rather clunky and even called, “primitive” by the New York Times. Unlike the iPhone, which is rather bland hardware fused with supreme software, Japan’s phones are just the opposite: supreme hardware fused to bland software.

In fact, Japan has led in innovations for phones:

• 1999: email on phones
• 2000: cameras on phones
• 2001: 3G networks
• 2002: full music downloads
• 2004: electronic payments
• 2005: digital TV

As Japanese manufacturers looks to bring their phones overseas, software seems be holding them back. The Japan clamshell form factor is on the wane in the US and Europe as the candybar and sliders look to take over. Another barrier for Japanese phones is coverage. Things like digital TV has been extremely slow to catch on in the US as coverage that can deliver a quality experience is still quite limited. In Japan, for example, many users connect to the internet via their phone, not a PC.

Manufacturers such as Sharp, Panasonic, Toshiba and Fujuitsu are looking at Japan’s saturated market and believe they must find overseas success to stay alive. This may mean “dumbing down” their hardware while beefing up their software to make a compelling offering for the rest of the world. Dubbed the “Galapagos Syndrome,” the problem is Japan’s hardware is so evolutionary it just doesn’t seem to thrive anywhere else. These manufacturers will have to find a way to make that work.

As the US and Europe convert from simple phones to smartphones, the market seems to be maturing to make room for the Japan hardware dynamos. As consumers start to expect more from their phones than just voice, things like facial recognition, credit card service, video conference calling and the like starts to sound like something worth paying for. The future should look bright for these Japanese companies looking for a toe-hold in other markets. And I can’t wait.

A quick note on the image above: Yes, the robot cell phones are real. From EnvironmentalGraffiti.com: “They’re essentially just a cell phone with fold-out arms and legs that will talk to you via creepy text message. It also displays a face on the cell phone screen according to what mood it’s in. The robophone also keeps track of your phone calls and will do things like mock you if you call one number particularly often.”

Source: [New York Times]