Skip to main content

Japanese phone manufacturer Freetel introduces 2 devices in the U.S. and Canada

Freetel, a mobile device manufacturer based in Japan, is bringing a budget option and a midrange offering to the U.S. and Canadian market.

We first heard of Freetel’s promise to bring some of their devices to western shores at CES 2016 earlier this year. The company offers sleek, affordable phones in Japan, and touts the quality of Japanese design and manufacturing. Most of its devices run Android, but it does have a Windows Phone handset.

Recommended Videos

The phones aren’t new devices, as they have been available in Japan, but out of its portfolio of phones, only two are now available in the U.S. and Canada. First up is the Kiwami, the company’s flagship device.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Kiwami

At 6 inches, the Kiwami is a phablet , but thankfully the IPS display comes with a resolution of 2,560 x 1440 pixels. It’s powered by an MediaTek’s MT6795 octa-core processor with 3GB of RAM. The device comes with 32GB of internal storage, and has a MicroSD card slot in case you want to upgrade to up to 128GB.

The rear camera on the Kiwami has 21 megapixels, and the front-facing camera has 8 megapixels. The number of megapixels do not correlate to how well a camera performs, however, so we’ll have to test the device out.

The Kiwami runs Android 5.01, and the last time we spoke to the company’s vice president and director of global business development, Eugene Yoshioka, he said Freetel will bring along updates as fast as it can. Regardless, don’t expect to see Android 6.0.1, or even the upcoming version of Android N, on this device any time soon.

The device also features a 3,400mAh battery capacity, fast-charging technology, Corning’s Gorilla Glass, and a fingerprint sensor — all for $389.

Priori3

Priced at $99, the Priori3 is Freetel’s budget-friendly device. That means its specs aren’t that spectacular — it only has a resolution of 854 x 480 pixels, but it’s a little more manageable on the 4.5-inch screen. It’s powered by MediaTek’s MT6735M processor with only 1GB of RAM, and it comes with a measly 8GB of internal storage. There is a MicroSD card slot, though, so at least you can expand it.

The 2-megapixel front-facing camera and the 8-megapixel rear camera are unlikely to impress, but at least the Priori3’s 2,100mAh battery should keep the device charged for a while.

Unfortunately, both devices are only compatible with GSM networks, which means they’ll only work on carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile. The unlocked Kiwami and Priori3 are available for purchase now on Freetel’s website.

The company announced that another flagship device, the Rei, is also slated to arrive in the U.S. sometime this year.

Julian Chokkattu
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…
Nreal’s Air AR glasses head to the U.S., ready to rock with iPhones
Nreal Air AR glasses

Nreal is bringing its augmented reality (AR) glasses to the U.S., and this time the company is porting over all that immersive fun to the iOS ecosystem. The Nreal Air, which have been available in the U.K. since May, carry a price tag of $379 and will be available via Amazon and authorized retail outlets starting today.

The Nreal Air is a watered-down version of the Light AR glasses, but the package is still quite compelling for the asking price. Rocking a more consumer-friendly wayfarer design similar to Facebook’s Ray-Ban Stories, the Nreal Air feature an OLED display offering an effective resolution of 3840 x 1080, the same as the pricier Light version.

Read more
U.S. carriers want to ruin your Android lock screen with advertisements
Photo of different smartphones with Lock Screen ads, powered by Glance.

Being bombarded with advertisements on our YouTube, Twitter, Snapchat, and other social media feeds is already a pretty terrible experience. Now imagine seeing ads on your lock screen first thing in the morning. That could very well be our reality in the not too distant future.

TechCrunch reported this week that India-based mobile ad company Glance has been in talks with U.S. carriers about plans to launch lock screen ads on several Android phones as soon as next month, according to a source familiar with the matter. That source requested anonymity because "the deliberations were ongoing and private."

Read more
A mysterious OnePlus phone might launch in the U.S. soon
OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G camera module.

OnePlus reportedly has another Nord device in the works, and it's one that may actually come to the United States. Paras Guglani spotted the upcoming phone in an FCC listing. Leaks suggest that the alleged device is the Nord N300. The phone will likely be the successor to the OnePlus Nord N200 5G launched in 2021. Since the Nord N series caters to the midrange market, don't expect flagship specs/hardware from the upcoming device.

The Nord N300 appeared in the FCC with model number CPH2389, hinting at its imminent launch. Like the N200 before it, the N300 is supposed to be limited to consumers in North America. Considering how many Nord smartphones OnePlus launches outside of the U.S., having another option to look forward to is quite exciting — even if the specs aren't expected to be groundbreaking.

Read more