Japan’s first true third generation (3G) mobile phone is being launched to luke warm reviews. The Matsushita P2101V handset (US$375) features a color display, mini color camera in the hinge and a data connection that is about 25 times faster than most current mobile phones. The problem is with the service provided by NTT DoCoMo according to an Associated Press article:
The face on the other end of the line is washed out and dark, sometimes even jagged in places. The overwhelming feeling is that the caller is speaking from outer space, not across town… The camera, which tends to distort the face like an unflattering fish-eye lens, takes still photos, too. The connections are not always reliable; it takes a dial or two at times to hook up, and talk time costs the equivalent of 11 cents a minute.
