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.

[Digital World Tokyo]