You may recall that last November I mentioned that Disney had announced its intention to enter the Japanese cell phone market with branded handsets and content, piggybacking on services provided by Softbank.
Well, Disney Mobile launched a couple of weeks ago with an approach that is, at least in some respects, nicely thought out. Recognizing that Japanese female consumers often combine class with cute, the company took the high road with handset design, opting for an exterior that at first glance recalls the logo patterns of luxury handbags, but up close reveals the silhouette of the world's most famous mouse.
At the same time, on the software side, the company has provided loads of free content that allows hard-core aficionados to Disney-fy their screens (and outgoing mail) to their heart's content.
Nonetheless, it's not immediately clear how well Disney Mobile will do in the long run. According to an article in the Nikkei Ryutsu Shinbun, the handsets flew off shelves during the first week, but sales have fallen off considerably in recent days.
The problem?
Probably price. The DM001SH, which comes in the three colors shown, costs over 81,000 yen ($825).
Granted, all of Japan's major cell providers are charging over $500 for phones these days (up considerably over past years), but the DM001SH seems, well, a bit over the top—even costing about $100 more than the Softbank 820SH—a parent model offering the same basic design and functionality.
Since there are plenty of Disney fans in Japan, only time will tell. The company intends to come out with another model this summer, and three types annually as of next year.
