"Army" Music Phone from DoCoMo

NTT DoCoMo has announced the release of a new music phone, the Music Porter X, which will allow users to download music from the FOMA 3G network.

Measuring 10.9 x 5 x 2.4cm and weighing 136g, the mobile resembles a military-purpose device. The Macromedia Flash interface contributes to the army feel with buttons imitating knobs and dials used in military equipment.

The handset is equipped with a 2.8 inch screen capable of displaying resolutions of 240 x 400 pixels in 262,144 colors. Unfortunately, the camera resolution is quite low, at only 320,000 pixels.

For the audio part, the phone offers onboard FM radio, support for AAC and MP3 formats, as well as Sony's ATRAC 3 Plus format which is said to provide better quality at low bit rates than the other two. The music can be stored on the 1 GB of flash memory. Users will be able to download songs from DoCoMo's own online store for a $8.40 monthly fee.

The Music Porter X will be available on Japanese markets on the 8th of April. The price and availability elsewhere are yet unknown.