NTT DoCoMo will debut on April 8th their first mobile phone with a built-in satellite radio receiver entitled the Music Porter X. This is the latest example of cellphones from DoCoMo that attempts to better integrate portable music functionality into a mobile phone.
The new cellphone from Mitsubishi is compatible with Mobile Broadcasting (MBCO), a struggling satellite radio service that's been available in Japan since late 2004, but to date it's attracted a pretty small number of subscribers.
Users will be able to load MP3/ATRAC format files into the phone's 1Gb memory and tune into FM radio in addition to accessing the satellite radio service. A 15-channel package of programming will be offered to users independent of cellphone service for ¥980 ($8.30) per month. That's a under half the content available from MBCO's full 37-channel audio service and while MBCO also offers a multichannel video service - the cellphone can't receive that content.
The Music Porter X will cost between ¥40,000 and ¥45,000, measures 109 x 50 x 24mm and weighs in at 136g. Talk-time is 170 minutes and the battery should provide about 20 hours of music playback or six hours of satellite radio reception.
When is this coming out in the United States?
When is this coming out in the United States?
That's what we need- a smartphone with wi-fi, bluetooth, e-mail, GPS, AM-FM, satrad, and 20 gig of storage- and I want it for $89.00 with a one year contract! That's 150 large in yen to you, buddy.