Android-based Yahoo! Phone Announced in Japan
The title of the post might sound weird for two reasons – 1. A phone from Yahoo? 2. Based on its archrival Google’s Android? Well, its true. SoftBank, Japan’s 3rd biggest mobile operator, announced the Yahoo! Phone manufactured by Sharp, which is actually a rebranded version of the SoftBank 009SH (again, Sharp-made)
The rock-solid phone runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread boasting a 4-inch qHD touchscreen (960×540 resolution), 8 Megapixel auto-focus camera, Bluetooth 3.0 and other common features like GPS, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, a microSD slot. Added, the phone sports a Digital TV-Tuner and an e-wallet function.
The phone will be packed with Yahoo Japan apps. Also, SoftBank subscribers get a 2-year membership of Yahoo! Japan Premium, which is $4.5/month regularly, plus they get additional points on purchases made on Yahoo! Shopping for 2 years.
The phone is expected to be available early next month. SoftBank hasn’t announced how much the phone will cost.