Willcom 03 phone combines virtual UI, streaming TV

Willcom, Sanyo and Microsoft co-developed the Willcom 03 slider phone, also known as the WS020SH. The top panel features virtual navigation keys, similar in execution to those on the Samsung Soul, that appear on a 3-inch touch-sensitive LCD, and add a number pad when needed. Sliding the top panel open reveals a full QWERTY keyboard. One-segment streaming digital TV is displayed on the 480x800 resolution screen thanks to the handset's Flash Lite 3.0 software.

The phone makes use of a proprietary Willcom-SIM (W-SIM) card with an integrated radio receiver, and features 256MB of built-in memory that is expandable with a microSD card slot. A QR code reader and other software will read and store business cards and other text from the images captured by its 2-megapixel autofocus camera. Electronic comics and magazines can also be viewed on the Willcom 03.

The handset is among the first Willcom products to make use of Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard OS, which works with a 512MHz processor and 128MB of RAM to support applications. Opera Mobile 9.5 and Internet Explorer Mobile act as the Internet browsers, with a W-ZERO3 mail client keeping emails organized. Adobe Reader LE is included for PDF file viewing.

Available in pink, gold or lime, the Willcom 03 will start shipping in Japan this October, with a suggested price of an equivalent of nearly $610. [via Impress]