The next Kyocera mobile phone A5502K sold by AU in Japan will include Brew, GPS and electronic compass functions, a Xenon flash (not a crappy LED), a rotating clamshell design, a 1 megapixel camera, the new Navi-walk service (GPS navigation service for pedestrians – more details here) and a 2D barcode (QR code) scanner and reader (a first for AU phones).

Typically, you could send a text message to your friend’s mobile phone encoded as a QR code and his phone could decode and read it (how fun…), or you can scan a code found in a magazine or flyer that will contain some contact details (to save) or a link to a website where you could browse for the advertised product or service (phone operators make revenue from those packet transactions) or even get a coupon to save and use next time you get to that shop. In short, it allows for easy retrieval of data from printed material. Many NTT Docomo models have been capable of doing that for months now and more recently Vodafone joined the party.
Until now, all those mobile phone features used to work independently from each other. But AU is looking at ways to add value to its Navi-Walk service. Picture that: you are flipping through the pages of a magazine and see this great jacket you were looking for. You have no idea where the shop is. Next to the name of the shop lies the QR code. You fire up your mobile phone’s camera and scan the code, it is decrypted and reveals the contact details of the shop (and maybe some info about the jacket). Up to there, nothing unusual. However, it also offers you an option to launch the Navi Walk function and actually shows you the way to the shop from where you are at that moment or any other time (just save the contact details). Navi-Walk will then show you in real-time how to get to the closest tube station (if needed), where to get off and lead you to the shop’s doorstep. If it’s so easy, I might actually decide to go to the shop, or restaurant, or concert etc…