Kyocera has a new handset out, the AirH”PHONE AH-K3001V (no, the errant quote isn’t a typo; yes, I want to punch them, too), a nice looking clamshell they claim is the first Japanese PHS (Personalized Handyphone Service, similar to i-Mode) handset to come with a version of Opera on it, which is a little surprising. Beyond that, a nice 2.2-inch 260,000-color LCD, 1.1-megapixel camera, and an integrated MINI-B terminal that actually supports recharging over USB make the AH-K3001V stand out as a solid, if not flashy clamshell. Thanks, Remigi!
Read [Kyocera]
Reader Adam Rice sends this interesting addendum about PHS:
PHS really isn’t analogous to i-mode: it’s a lower-layer protocol, more like an alternative to CDMA or TDMA. The key feature is that it’s *really* low-power and short-range: train stations in Tokyo may have PHS base stations at each end of a platform for adequate coverage. When you get a PHS call, you stop walking (don’t even think of trying to make or take a call when driving). It does support a data-mode (PIAFS). I think PHS phones are also supposed to have a sort of built-in mode switch so that you can install a base station at home on your landline, and when you get home, it automatically converts to a cordless phone on the same number—but because the wireless rates are lower with PHS, they’re mostly owned by teenagers who can’t afford more expensive service, let alone the incredibly steep set-up charges for a landline that NTT demands.
