Welcome to a laptop battery specialist of the Fujitsu Laptop Battery
The F-12D phone is the latest in Fujitsu's popular "RakuRaku" line, a series of feature phones with simplified features aimed at Japan's aging population. The phrase "rakuraku" means "easy" or "comfortable" in Japanese.
(See YouTube footage of the phone from Tokyo.)
Fujitsu said it negotiated directly with Google to use Android without requiring the creation of a Google account, which it said could be confusing for older users. The company designed a user interface that is meant to be inviting and easy to use, with large text and buttons and only simple, vertical scrolling.
"We developed a phone that will let customers step up with battery such as Fujitsu Lifebook C2310 Battery , Fujitsu FPCBP85 Battery , Fujitsu LifeBook P7010 Battery , Fujitsu FPCBP86 Battery , Fujitsu FMVNBP118 Battery , Fujitsu FPCBP69 Battery , Fujitsu Lifebook P5020 Battery , Fujitsu Lifebook P5010 Battery , Fujitsu FPCBP49 Battery , Fujitsu Lifebook P1030 Battery , Fujitsu LifeBook P1630 Battery , Fujitsu FPCBP164Z Battery from traditional feature phones," said Nobuo Otani, a Fujitsu executive who spoke to reporters at a press event in Tokyo.
As smartphones continue to standardize, manufacturers like Fujitsu are trying to differentiate their Android-based handsets with unique user interfaces. Last month, Sharp said it had designed a new "Feel UX" user interface, and rivals such as Sony and Samsung also offer their own interfaces that sit atop Android.
Fujitsu's new phone also features a touch screen designed for first-time users that aren't comfortable with technology, after testing by the company showed many elderly users had trouble adapting from the physical keys of feature phones.
The screen gives way slightly when pressed, to recreate the feeling of a physical button. Tapping icons and links on the phone only highlights them, and a stronger press is required to actually select something. The phone's software is designed to ignore "false touches," such as when fingers used to hold the phone are accidentally moved over the screen.
Otani said he is unaware of a smartphone aimed at elderly users outside of Japan, and Fujitsu is eager to pitch the phone to foreign operators that are interested.
In Japan, Fujitsu has retained a 55-year-old actress, Shinobu Otake, to promote the phone to older customers.
The phone will go on sale in Japan from early August under NTT DoCoMo, Japan's largest operator. DoCoMo is offering the phone on a two-year contract that costs about ¥4,000 (US$50) per month if users download 500 MB or less in mail and data.