DoCoMo's well-timed fightback

With the introduction of number portability imminent, DoCoMo has unveiled six new handsets that--for the first time in a while--look like it is still interested in remaining top dog.

The 903i series, announced late yesterday Japan time, finally adopts GPS in many models, updates the FeliCa chips, brings in HSDPA and OneSeg on more phones, and offers support for Napster's new music download service. In short, there is a lot here that should keep existing subscribers where they are and help encourage defections from competitors.

Most symbolic of the abrupt and aggressive shift in DoCoMo's stance may be the SH903iTV, the second of Sharp's "Aquos Keitai" models. The first Aquos phone was Softbank's jewel in the crown, with its unconventional screen-flipping act brought centre-stage in TV commercials to emphasise how "unexpected" the new company was. DoCoMo has hit back with a bit of good old Crocodile Dundee-style one-upmanship ("that's not an Aquos keitai; this is an Aquos keitai") by getting Sharp to create a version that boosts the screen size considerably and makes Softbank's look second-class. The real challenge, of course, will be to see whether it can slow au's advance, and in terms of brand image the latter has the advantage, with DoCoMo coming across as the safe, staid choice while au has all the thrills.

[Read: DoCoMo press release]