Subject: [NEXTEL-1] DoCoMo Tries to Meet Demand For New Wristomo Wrist Phone

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2003 19:28:24 -0400

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/0,,SB105692211955174000,00.html?

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NTT DoCoMo Inc. ADS (DCM)

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DoCoMo Tries to Meet Demand

For New Wristomo Wrist Phone

Popularity Catches Company Off Guard

As Japanese Embrace Sci-Fi-Inspired Gadget

By RON HARUI

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

TOKYO -- Demand for NTT
DoCoMo Inc.'s latest gadget is outstripping production, as fans of
such nostalgic characters as granite-jawed detective Dick Tracy line up to
buy a wrist phone just like that of their heroes.

The popularity of the Wristomo wrist phone has caught NTT DoCoMo off
guard, as the first two batches of its monthly production of 1,000 units
each sold out in 10 minutes. "Production just can't keep up [with demand],"
says Godo Irukayama, the gizmo's inventor. "As we originally thought it
wouldn't sell this well, our factory line can make only 1,000 units a
month."

DoCoMo has sold 3,850 Wristomos since the May 7 launch of the
wristwatch-style personal handyphone system. Demand from Japanese consumers
is so robust that there even is a waiting list. Now, the company is trying
to ascertain whether demand for the phone is just a brief fad or a
long-term sustainable trend.

Critical Juncture

DoCoMo had expected to sell 5,000 units, but Mr. Irukayama said the
company may be able to sell 10,000. That figure represents a critical
juncture for determining whether the Wristomo is a flash in the pan, or
here to stay, says Mr. Irukayama, a manager in DoCoMo's Mobile Multimedia
Terminal Development Department. "Sales of 10,000 units is a key point. If
the market size can be bigger, I think sales won't decline and will
steadily rise," he said, implying DoCoMo might boost production if sales of
the gadget top that threshold.

NTT
DoCoMo launched its Wristomo wrist phone May 7.

Mr. Irukayama got his inspiration for the Wristomo from the science
fiction and cartoon shows he watched on television in his childhood --
programs in which the characters spoke into wrist radios or phones just
like their Western counterpart Dick Tracy.

Weighing about 113 grams (about four ounces) and looking like a thick,
dark gray metallic sportswatch, the Wristomo opens up at the touch of two
small buttons. It is then taken off the wrist to be used like a regular
mobile phone.

Data Exchange

The water-resistant device can automatically exchange data with personal
computers, such as the address book or engagement calendar in Microsoft
Corp.'s Outlook Express program, wirelessly or via a USB cable. It is made
by Seiko Instruments Inc.

Mr. Irukayama says 90% of the people who have bought Wristomos were men
-- some liking the style of its chunky shape, while others drawn to the
nostalgia of owning a wrist phone similar to one they had seen in sci-fi or
cartoon programs on TV.

Since women prefer more feminine designs and colors, Mr. Irukayama says
the company might come out with Wristomos in a range of colors, though
DoCoMo still is mulling the next developmental stage for the product.

The company has been flooded with inquiries from factories,
medical-related businesses and other companies about installing new
functions into the Wristomo, such as in-office call transferring,
body-temperature monitoring and personal-digital-assistant linking.

The Wristomo also has received attention overseas, including one
Hollywood studio that wants to use the product in a movie.

"I'm very grateful, and I want to come out with one that connects with a
service like FOMA [Freedom of Mobile Multimedia Access]," Mr. Irukayama
said, referring to DoCoMo's third-generation mobile-communications service
that it seeks to introduce in other countries. Technical hurdles, such as
the large battery size that would be needed for a FOMA-capable wrist phone,
must be cleared first, he said.

Currently, users of the Wristomo can talk continuously for about 120
minutes and can keep the wrist phone on standby for 200 minutes, without
recharging it.

Write to Ron Harui at
[email-masked]

Updated June 29, 2003 7:28 p.m.

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