Technology - PC World
Cell Phones Go Karaoke
Tue May 18, 2004 5:00 PM ET
Martyn Williams, IDG News Service
Just when you thought cell phones had everything, engineers at Sharp and Toshiba have come up with new handsets that can double as portable karaoke machines.
The phones will go on sale in Japan this summer and are among the first that can connect to an external display--in this case a television--so users don't have to crowd around the phone's small display. It's this capability and a new service from Vodafone K.K. called V-kara that makes possible the karaoke function. Because it's tied to local telephone service, the function will be available only in Japan.
Phone Specs
Users of the V602SH and V601T phones can download karaoke files from the Vodafone Live mobile Internet service. With the television connection the lyrics and a simple animation appear on the screen, and the melody is routed through the speakers. The handset can act as the microphone, but the singer's voice also comes out of the television.
Vodafone already offers a number of karaoke files for download through Vodafone Live although users have been restricted to playing them on the handset screen. The new phones can also be used for such personal performances, although by connecting them to a TV set they offer an experience much closer to that of a home karaoke machine.
Prices for the new service have not yet been announced but the current karaoke files cost around 35 cents per song or can be bought in packs of several hundred yen for 20 songs monthly, according to Vodafone. Customers can save the downloaded files to the handset and used multiple times for no extra cost.
The first of the two telephones to go on sale is expected to be the V602SH, which will hit Japanese store shelves in mid-June.
The phone has a 2.4-inch TFT LCD with 320-by-240 pixel (QVGA) resolution and can display 260,000 colors. The digital camera has a 2-megapixel resolution and, for the first time, a 2X optical zoom. The handset also supports Java applets up to 256K in size, a digital music player, barcode reader, and menu that can switch between Japanese and English. It measures 2 by 4 by 1 inch and weighs 4.6 ounces. Talk time is 130 minutes and standby time is 400 hours.
Roughly one month later, in mid-July, the V601T is expected to go on sale.
It has a 2.2-inch TFT LCD with QVGA resolution, 1-inch color sub display, 1.3-megapixel CCD camera and support for Java applets up to 256K in size. It measures 2 by 3.75 by 1 inch when folded and weighs 4 ounces. Talk time is around 120 minutes and standby time is up to 330 hours.
Karaoke Crazy
Whether karaoke will follow mobile Internet, picture messaging, and high-quality ring tones as the next smash hit on the Japanese cellular scene won't be apparent until the karaoke phones are on the market for awhile. However, a few early signs point to at least some ready audience for the service.
When Vodafone unveiled its handset at Business Show 2004, its demonstration was packed with curious visitors. Vodafone employees, who have had access to the handset during testing, are also enthusiastic, says Matthew Nichols on, a Vodafone spokesperson.
In the U.S., karaoke programs are available on a variety of other tech devices, from enhanced keyboards to Microsoft's Xbox console.
Karaoke is a popular leisure activity in Japan for many, especially young people. Aficionados often visit dedicated karaoke houses and spend hours belting out the latest pop hits. It's also a favorite of the stressed "salaryman" who sings away his blues on a machine at one of the nation's many mom-and-pop bars.
In 2002, 48 million customers flocked to Japan's 477,000 licensed karaoke machines in bars, hotels, and karaoke rooms, according to the latest data from the All Japan Karaoke Industries Association. Total revenue from the machines was estimated at $7.3 billion for 2002.