AU KDDI intros G9 handset from new iida brand
updated 12:00 pm EDT, Tue April 7, 2009
AU KDDI intro G9 handset
Japan's AU KDDI recently created a new brand, iida, which is meant to appeal to fashion-conscious customers. One of the first products to be released under the brand is a new Sony Ericsson slider known as the G9. The handset sports a 1Seg TV tuner built into its stainless steel body, which is coated with a thin coating of titanium compound. Unlike AU KDDI's other phones, the G9 supports both CDMA 1X and GSM networks. Apart from this, a few exterior changes as well as a different display and camera, the G9 is similar to Sony Ericsson's Cyber-shot S001 handset.
The G9 sports a 3-inch touchscreen display with 480x854 resolution and a 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus. Only microSD cards are supported, capping external storage at 2GB. The TV tuner lets users pick up 1Seg broadcasts in markets that support the format, and the G9 even has the ability to record the content. A mobile pico projector can be added as an accessory for the G9, displaying the recorded TV content on walls or screens.
Otherwise, there is Bluetooth and infrared wireless communications, a GPS sensor and mobile wallet functionality. The battery is rated to provide 3.5 hours of talk time on 3G or 230 hours of standby time.
When it launches late in August in Japan, the G9 will be available in a mirror finish with pink accents, black finish with green accents or titanium offset by silver, with the finishes offering different textures of the stainless steel frame. [via Impress]
