The Card Keitai is being marketed in Japan by a number of telecom companies. DoCoMo and NEC are the only ones that sell it and it is a Japan exclusive. You cannot buy the phone by itself, but it is marketed as an add-on if you buy a fully featured smartphone, think of it as a promotion. Good e-Reader is currently in Japan and got a first look at this unique device.
The Card Keitai has a resolution of 600 x 480 and the screen is 2.8 inches, it is the same size as a credit card. It does not have a front-lit display, but there will be an accessory you can buy. It does have Bluetooth and is water resistant at an IPX 2 rating, so little spills will be OK, if you drop it in the bathtub, it likely will meet its maker.
The phone has a micro USB port, Bluetooth 4.2, and support for 4G LTE networks with top download speeds of up to 100 Mbps and top upload speeds of 37.5 Mbps. It measures just 91mm x 55mm x 5.3mm (3.6″ x 2.2″ x 0.2″) and weighs about 47 grams (1.7 ounces).
This is very basic phone and you cannot install apps. It has a SMS, internet browser, contact list, calculator and a clock. It can also make phone calls, but talk time is relegated to just a few hours, standby time is 100 hours.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
