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Rakuten to start selling inexpensive smartphones(Japan Economic Newswire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Japanese e-commerce group Rakuten Inc. said Wednesday it will start selling inexpensive smartphones, aiming to take away market share for simplified models from major mobile carriers. Rakuten will sell the phones made by Taiwan's ASUSTeK Computer Inc. through Rakuten's telecommunications subsidiary Fusion Communications Corp., starting accepting orders the same day. The handsets, capable of 4G LTE high-speed data communications, have fewer functions than more expensive smartphones to achieve a low price, Rakuten said. Monthly fees start from around 2,000 yen ($18). Rakuten plans to expand the lineup of models, aiming to sell 10 million units in three to four years. "Paying cellphone bills is a significant burden for households," Rakuten President Hiroshi Mikitani said at a press conference. "We will provide cheaper, higher-performance services." (c) 2014 Kyodo News [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] |