OREANDA-NEWS. July 26, 2012. Fujitsu today announced that its new "Raku-Raku Smartphone" will be available in Japan from NTT DOCOMO, Inc., beginning August 1, 2012.

Raku-Raku ("easy-to-use") Smartphone is designed to be easily operated by first-time smartphone users, and is equipped with the latest hardware and software while leveraging the voice and universal design technologies cultivated in previous models of the Raku-Raku Phone series.

To enable users not acquainted with a touchscreen to operate the phone with the same ease-of-use as a conventional mobile phone, Fujitsu has developed a new Raku-Raku Touchscreen(1) configured to detect differences between a finger stroke and a tap. When the user touches an icon, the color of the icon will change to let the user know that it has been selected, and if they continue to press the icon, the phone will vibrate to confirm the selection. This, in turn, makes it clearer for users to understand that they have operated the phone without making a mistake for stress-free operations.

The phone also includes a new unique interface that users can intuitively navigate to quickly access desired features, in addition to a simple menu that will be familiar to Raku-Raku Phone users.

Fujitsu also offers access to a new Raku-Raku Community, through which users can connect with other users by posting comments and photos, making for an even more enjoyable smartphone experience.

Since its debut in September 2001, the Raku-Raku Phone series has been a huge hit, particularly among its target audience of senior citizen users. In September 2011, the series recorded a milestone of 20 million units sold.

Amid a rapidly growing smartphone market, there is increasing interest among Raku-Raku Phone users, particularly senior citizens, in using smartphones. In leveraging the technologies long-cultivated by Fujitsu and NTT DOCOMO through the Raku-Raku Phone series, the companies conducted a long-term market research survey of elderly users and incorporated this research into the development of this easy-to-use smartphone that alleviates the concerns of first-time users.

The new smartphone has been designed with a primary focus on the essential features that enable easy-to-use, easy-to-hear, and easy-to-read functionality, including an error-resistant touchscreen, easy-to-follow menus, a special telephone receiver that can amplify sound to an audible volume and minimize distortion in phone calls, and technology that ensures the LCD display is always at its optimal viewing setting by adjusting its color and brightness.

Raku-Raku Smartphone is available in three popular color variations: Gold, Navy, and Pink.