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NTT DoCoMo unveils 24 mobile devices
MUMBAI: Japanese telecom company NTT DoCoMo has announced its 2011 summer lineup of 24 new mobile devices for launch on or after 20 May.
This includes nine smartphones, the largest and most diverse collection of smartphones ever released by it, plus a variety of
feature phones compatible with its i-mode mobile Internet platform, as well as mobile Wi-Fi routers for DoCoMo’s Xi LTE extra-high-speed service.
The company says that the smartphone lineup offers user-friendly features for tethering, mobile-wallet (Osaifu-Keitai) and infrared-based data exchange, plus downlink speeds up to a theoretical maximum of 14 Mbps starting from early June. The lineup also boasts the world’s first wirelessly chargeable smartphone. All Android smartphones, including the globally popular Xperia and GALAXY models, are preinstalled with Android 2.3.
The company says that its new lineup meets a broad range of needs for mobile users in Japan:
Numerous i-mode services and technologies available for smartphones, including Area Mail disaster information service, i-channel push-based information service and Melody Call ringback tones.
Smartphones offering enhanced convenience and operability due to the new “docomo Palette UI” feature for easy sorting, searching and management of apps.
11 high-spec, i-mode-compatible feature phones equipped variously with 3D screens for dynamic viewing, HD-quality cameras.
The i-motion video-clip distribution service for FOMA 3G feature phones now offers 50 MB capacity for both long and high-definition video. Batch downloads of various content are possible with DoCoMo’s new “content package” service.
Two mobile Wi-Fi routers compatible with DOCOMO’s Xi-brand LTE service, offering fiber-optic-level mobile connectivity for wireless devices. LTE service will include Japan’s six largest urban metropolises by July and other large cities including prefectural capitals by March 2012 .
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
