NTT DoCoMo also announced its 2006 fiscal results, and 3G subscriber growth continues to outstrip that of its two main rivals, KDDI and Softbank. At the end of 2006, the number of subscribers to FOMA (its 3G service) stood at 32.1 million, a 59.7 percent jump compared to the end of 2005 and a 1.28 million increase during December 2006 alone. Nearest rival KDDI had 25.1 million subscribers to its “au” service (based on the CDMA2000 evolution path) as of 31 December 2006, with net additions during December 2006 totaling just over 500,000. Third-placed operator, Softbank, had nearly six million 3G subscribers by the end of last year, an increase of 635,000 during December.
Bloomberg: DoCoMo on Jan. 16 introduced a handset with a high resolution LCD using Sony’s Bravia technology and improved sound quality for viewing digital TV. The company also unveiled a phone that uses a touch-screen instead of a keypad and what it called the “world’s thinnest” clamshell- style phone.