I think I found my keitai.

I have been doing a bit of research on mobile phones in Japan. I have two pieces of criteria that needs to be met. First the phone needs to support English menus because well if not I can’t use it. And second it needs to be frickin cool (shouldn’ t be hard, it’s Japan right?).

After looking at a plethora of phones online I believe I have found the one I want. Though the final decision will come in Japan when I witness them in person, for now the SoftBank 910SH is top on my list. It isn’t an iPhone but it is swanky. Not only a phone… this thing is packed with a 5.1 megapixel camera with a 3x zoom, not too shabby. I’ve been looking for a new compact camera to document my time in Japan and I think one integrated with my phone is ideal for ultimate portability.

But that isn’t all. It also has a web browser, games, mp3 player, and most of the other bells and whistles you’ve come expect on a phone these days. As well as a few you don’t expect like video chat.

But wait there’s more!

My favorite feature next to the bad ass camera is Suica!
What is Suica you ask?
No silly it isn’t a watermelon.
It’s a transit pass built right into the phone. NO FREAKIN WAY!… Yup just add your subway money to your phone, tap the phone at the train turnstile and Wa-Lah!! the gate opens. And now just when you thought I was done, you can use Suica for more than just the subway. Suica can also be used at convenience stores, grocery stores, vending machines and more!

Clearly I am excited about the phones in Japan even though they aren’t iPhones. I look forward to reporting back to you all after I get my hands on one of these.