Panasonic is shipping another Linux-based mobile phone to NTT DoCoMo, for use with DoCoMo's FOMA (“Freedom of Mobile Multimedia Access”) 3G network. The P902iS is compatible with DoCoMo's Chaku-Uta music download service, and supports 2GB miniSD cards for storage of up to 1000 songs.

The P902iS will be available to DoCoMo customers on May 7, followed by several other new models in DoCoMo's 902 series. In addition to the basic P902iS model, Panasonic is supplying DoCoMo with a “music edition” that includes a black P902iS and bluetooth wireless headphones, it says.

The P902iS is available with a variety of “custom jackets,” which appear to be clip-on plastic shells that alter the phone's appearance.

A few of the custom jackets available for the P902iS

Another interesting feature is a 7 x 7 matrix of white LEDs (light-emitting diodes) for displaying “various information and illustrations,” a feature reminiscent of the Violet Dal mood lamp, albeit apparently monochromatic.

This photo shows the P902iS's LED matrix in several states

Touted features of the P902iS include:

• Compatible with DoCoMo's Chaku-Uta Full service for downloading full music tracks from i-mode sites.
• Equipped with an SD audio player that is compatible with 2 GB large-capacity type cards
• Supports Bluetooth standard specifications ver.1.2, which enables you to listen to music via a wireless link
• The rear panel is equipped with a 7 x 7 dot area of white LED illumination for displaying various information and illustrations
• Equipped with an advanced “face authentication” security function which enables you to lock the IC card and PIM function in Double Security mode together with the handset PIN number
• Pre-installed with i-appli software required to use DCMX credit card

Specifications include:

• Folded size: 4.2 x 1.9 x 0.8 inches (106 x 49 x 21mm)
• 3.8 ounces (109 grams)
• 150 minutes talk time
• 550 hours static or 380 hours of in-motion standby time
• 2.4-inch QVGA (240 x 320) TFT color LCD display supporting 262K colors
• 0.7-inch 96 x 12 STN monochrome LCD
• 2-megapixel Maicovicon camera with 31 digital zoom levels
• 110,000 pixel CMOS inner camera for conferencing
• Preinstalled applications
  • Sonic The Hedgehog 2
  • 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany

The P902iS appears to be the second new phone design, after the DTV-enabled P901iTV, that Panasonic has delivered to DoCoMo since Panasonic's announcement late last year that it would abandon its export GSM phone strategy.

Panasonic and NEC collaborated on a mobile phone platform based on MontaVista Linux in 2004, and have subsequently delivered a number of designs based on the platform, including the P900i and N900i, N901iL, P902i and N902i.

 
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