[The News Bot]

Richard Taylor discovers why the "keitei" has become the must-have personal companion
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[eni]

I watched this on the iPlayer.
I was fascinated to see the way that the Japanese mobile phone market is so varied. The designs are always totally different from one another, and rarely do you see what has become somewhat common in Europe and the US that where you have popular designs repeated with newer technology, as you get new technology you get completely new aesthetic designs. Very interesting.

[Sonic67]

I thought this was interesting:

BBC News - Revealing Japan's low-tech belly

This technological divide goes hand in hand with Japan's much touted "Galapagos" status. Like the plants and creatures on those islands Japan's tech standards and business practices have developed a unique character incompatible with anything beyond its borders.

Mr Onda thinks this Galapagos approach was an error perpetuated by the civil servants.

"Anything as foreign and revolutionary as Apple's WYSIWYG GUI operating system will never be accepted, even if it was the best. You see Apple had not paid respects to the Japanese bureaucrats," he said.