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Fujitsu will release an Android phone for older people here in the UK.
The Raku-Raku phone is designed for those getting on in years, with larger fonts and a simplified interface. It’s so far only been available in Japan, but will soon make it to the US and Europe, Asahi Shimbun reports, via The Verge.
Those lucky pensioners will get a more up-to-date version of Android than some of us, too. The Raku-Raku runs a modified version of Ice Cream Sandwich (while I’m still stuck on Gingerbread), with larger fonts that are easier to read. The home screen has been simplified, with just the phone dialler, phone book, email, and weather forecast.
Noise cancellation is on-board, to help make voice calls clearer, and there’s a rather nifty-sounding voice-slowing feature that should make it easier to understand what the caller is saying. Fujitsu hasn’t said these features will definitely be come as standard on the version we’ll be getting, but let’s hope so. It said it will make “certain modifications” to the device for each country before release.
Fujitsu may not be known for its phones in the UK, but it actually shipped more mobiles in Japan than any other company last year, so it’s kind of a big deal. It’s now looking to expand overseas.
That doesn’t mean its high-end Arrows phones will make it here though. The company just doesn’t have the budget, according to Fujitsu president Masami Yamamoto. “We don’t have the luxury of spending huge amounts of money to promote a brand, like Samsung,” he said.
Other Japanese companies who have recently launched smart phones in the UK have tended to struggle. Panasonic, for example, didn’t last long. Here’s hoping Fujitsu fares a little better.
Do you think a phone for older people would be useful? Are devices too complicated now? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.
