Disney unveiled its first mobile phones in Japan, saying the US entertainment gaint is 'extremely confident' in success here after learning lessons from its flop in the US market.
TOKYO: Disney unveiled its first mobile phones in Japan on Tuesday, saying the US entertainment gaint is 'extremely confident' in success here after learning lessons from its flop in the US market.
Walt Disney Japan, the local unit of Walt Disney Co., said it would begin a new mobile telephone service, named 'Disney Mobile,' on March 1 together with Softbank Corp in line with their initial announcement in November.
Disney Mobile will first offer three types of mobiles made by Japan's Sharp, whose outer package is covered with silhouette patterns of Mickey Mouse.
They also feature a special online bottom that will allow subscribers to jump to Disney websites, while Disney's iconic characters can be used on standby screens and to decorate e-mails free of charge.
Further details, including prices, were to be released later.
Disney will become Japan's first so-called mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), or a company that buys capacity from another firm to provide cellphone services.
"We are extremely confident" in success, said Duncan Orrell-Jones, vice president of Walt Disney Internet Group Asia-Pacific
It is entering the tough Japanese market despite the failure of Disney Mobile in the United States, another MVNO which shut down at the end of last year.
The flop was mainly due to its business model in the US, "where we did everything on our own," Orrell-Jones said.
Disney, giving up a solo operation, decided to tie up with Softbank, which is a "much more powerful model that gives us collaboration across everything from handsets to service to distribution," he said.
He noted that Disney already has a strong following in Japan, where Tokyo Disneyland receives tens of millions of visitors every year.
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