Fujitsu's easy-to-use smartphones that targeted Japan's aging citizenry is heading overseas. The Raku Raku runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich that's slightly modified to simplify the interface and add senior-friendly features. Raku, which is Japanese for "easy", uses large and highly legible text, bigger and easy to use buttons, and fewer apps on the home screen. The phone also has noise cancellation, automatic volume controls, and voice-slowing feature to help the hard of hearing. Fujitsu has not announced the specific availability and pricing of the Raku Raku in Europe and the U.S.
What Else You Need To Know
- Fujitsu said it is turning to overseas markets as the Japanese market has hit a peak for smartphone sales.
- Fujitsu though has currently no plans to market its high-performance Arrows smartphones abroad, saying that it doesn't have funds to launch a massive brand promotion, unlike Samsung, the world's top selling smartphone vendor.
Other sources
The seniors’ market is often overlooked, which can make navigating technology choices confusing and frustrating for some folks in that demographic.- Jolie O'Dell, Venture Beat
- Other
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Fujitsu to sell senior-friendly Android phone in the US and Europe
The Raku Raku smartphone runs a modified version of Android 4.0 that uses larger, highly legible text, and limits the home screen to just a few easy-to-use apps such as a dialer, phone book, email, and weather forecast.
- macnn
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Fujitsu to bring senior-aimed Raku Raku smartphones to US
It was not clear when the Raku Raku lines would reach US and European shores, nor how much they would cost.
- Other
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Fujitsu’s Android phones for Grandma and Grandpa coming to US and Europe
Fujitsu isn’t the only Japanese handset maker who is aware of the difficulties of competing with the likes of Samsung, Motorola and Sony. Panasonic recently announced that it will be withdrawing from the European smartphone market and will no longer sell its Eluga handset outside of Japan.
- PhoneDog
- Fujitsu to bring Android smartphone aimed at seniors to the U.S.
- Mobile Magazine
- Fujitsu to Release Phone for Seniors in the US and Europe
- Venture Beat
- Mobile phones an ‘old person’s nightmare’ no more, thanks to Fujitsu!
- Pocketnow
- Fujitsu Planning Global Push For Easy-To-Use Android For Seniors