Japan's Hot Hardware - April, 2017

The last time I reported on Japan's hot handsets was from Osaka only five months ago, so there's not actually all that much new hardware on the market. But despite the glory days of Japanese keitai having long since passed, Japan still manages to offer their smartphone customers some attractive and unique hardware that you can't find anywhere else.

Here's what caught my eye during my most recent trip...



Onkyo Granbeat DP-CMX1

Onkyo has made their first smartphone with audiophiles in mind, featuring discrete gold-plated headphone and line outputs, plus a dedicated audio board. You can see its Japanese product page here, and read a British magazine's report on it here.



Fujitsu arrows NX F-01J

The latest in Fujitsu's arrows line boasts audio tuning by Onkyo, along with a proprietary "solid shield" structure to resist screen cracks due to drops. Given that the appealing two-tone paint job of this little number will likely make you not want to use a case, dropping it is a legitimate concern. DoCoMo has an English-language for the NX-F01J right here.



Honourable Mention: LG F-01G

Gotta give some love to the mobile hotspot that kept the girlfriend and I connected while we were away. LG's latest boasts a maximum throughput of 262 Mbps on the DoCoMo LTE network. We didn't get anywhere near that, but what we did get was stellar battery life—4,880 mAh was more than enough to keep two phones perpetually connected through an entire day.

You can see its product page here and its DoCoMo listing here. And if you like you can rent one for yourself right here.

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