DoCoMo phones swing Wiimote-style

NTT DoCoMo, Japan's biggest wireless operator, on Monday unveiled a new mobile phone equipped with a motion sensor that lets people play games like they can on the popular Nintendo Wii console.

With DoCoMo's D904i, made by Mitsubishi Electric, people can swing the handset like a tennis racket or wield it like a sword to control gameplay, instead of punching on the keypad. The Wii's controller, dubbed a Wiimote, offers a similar feature.

To lure more game fans, the Japanese operator also introduced two other phones, made by Sharp and Matsushita Electric Industrial, that also detect motion.

Games are among the most popular contents downloaded on to mobile phones in Japan, where most people are signed up to so-called third-generation networks that allow fast and interactive data communications.

The operator unveiled a total of five handsets as its new 904i flagship series on Monday, which will start becoming available in Japan from May.

Also, all the 904i phones come with a new option that offers people a second phone number on the same handset. The service allows customers to use one number for work, and the other for private calls.

Earlier this year, DoCoMo, which caters to 54 per cent of Japan's mobile phone users, introduced a phone that features a touch-sensitive screen and another that gives off a relaxing scent.

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