Fujitsu 2012 Annual Report Download - page 63

“I want a smartphone with a bigger display”
Smartphones have become a runaway hit over the past two
years, captivating users of all ages by putting the convenience
and enjoyment of access to any information imaginable right in
the palm of their hands. The same attraction holds for seniors.
According to a Fujitsu study*1, 42.6% of all seniors in Japan are
eager to purchase a smartphone.
In expressing their expectations for smartphones, many
people mentioned how exciting it would be to do any number of
things on a larger display with an intuitive touch-panel interface.
But when seniors actually used smartphones during hands-on
conferences and focus groups Fujitsu sponsored, the touch-panel
interface was a major source of mistaken user input.
Seniors clearly want to use smartphones, but there is no
product on the market that fully meets their needs. After
repeated research, Fujitsu opted to develop a smartphone from
square one that offers what seniors want and that they can
confidently master.
The goal: a stress-free, easily mastered device
exclusively for seniors
In usability studies, it became clear that testers were unable to
use the small buttons on touch panel displays accurately. There
were also unintentional navigation errors due to inadvertent
display touches. Fujitsu’s solution was the development of a
unique “Raku-Raku Touch Panel” to eliminate the anxiety associ-
ated with conventional touch panels. The goal was do away with
a “touch only” interface through a groundbreaking mechanism
that delivers the tactile feel and precision of hard buttons, with
fingertip vibrations used to signal that the desired input is com-
plete. Among other included functions is accidental touch sup-
port to prevent mistaken input. The end result is a precise touch
interface pleasing to seniors.
Another key issue was the difficulty and complexity of the
smartphone user interface (UI)*2. Developing a UI with a “home”
application displayed large for seniors failed to fundamentally
resolve this issue. This prompted Fujitsu to develop both
A Smartphone Seniors Can Master from Day One
The Raku-Raku Phone handset series developed jointly with NTT DOCOMO, INC has been
a huge hit with seniors. More than 20 million units have been sold since the series
launched in 2001, bringing the enjoyment and convenience of mobile phones to an even
wider audience. In the summer of 2012, an entirely new entry to this popular series, a
smartphone designed for seniors, joined the lineup. The following is a behind-the-scenes
look at the story behind this product, designed and developed from square one with
convenience for seniors in mind.
Ubiquitous Business Strategy Headquarters
Product Department I, Mobile Products
Division
Senior Manager
Kenetsu Furuki
hardware and the UI for applications explicitly for the Raku-Raku
Smartphone. While development required far more time and
effort than ordinarily spent on new handset models, the out-
come is a device that is easy to use in every way.
Human Centric fun and excitement Fujitsu strives to
deliver
Smartphones make everyday life more convenient. This is why
Fujitsu sought not only to make the Raku-Raku Smartphone
intuitive to use, but to fill it with a host of functions, applications
and services to make seniors’ lives more enjoyable. The roughly
8.1 megapixel camera, for example, offers the same excellent
functionality as high-end handsets, and has convenient function
buttons that enables users to easily take captivating photos that
they can immediately email. The device also comes with a vari-
ety of preinstalled applications available for use right away.
These include popular pedometer and health management-
related applications, to convenient destination maps, radio
stations that users can listen to, games and more. Another
offering is “Raku-Raku Community,” a site where users can fully
enjoy connecting to other people. This space is one in which
users can casually interact with people they normally would
never meet around hobbies and travel, food, health and other
themes. Raku-Raku Community is monitored 24 hours a day by
Fujitsu staff, for a service that seniors can enjoy with
peace of mind.
Fujitsu is optimally leveraging its ability to
offer one-stop solutions encompassing hard-
ware and software to services and content to
provide senior-friendly, human-centric ICT.
*1 Smartphone Desire to Purchase Study: Research conducted by Fujitsu in December 2011 (573 mobile phone users aged 55 and
older)
*2 User Interface: Refers to a home screen and interface environment that allow users to directly navigate to and engage desired
information.
The story behind development of the F-12D Raku-Raku Smartphone
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FUJITSU LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Performance