KDDI to Offer Hitachi Mobile Phone with Fingerprint Sensor

Hitachi's new "win" series phone, the W51H, will integrate AuthenTec's AES1510 fingerprint sensor as a standard feature. Authentec sensors are used in over 95 percent of biometric fingerprint cell phones worldwide. The fingerprint sensos will be mounted under the 2.9" 480x800 high resolution widescreen display which flips and swivels for easy reading while browsing mobile web pages.

The AES1510 fingerprint sensor for the W51H will be used to control on the handset and will be the first time KDDI, Japan's second largest network provider, will offer subscribers with a biometric phone. Additionally the sensor enables secure and convenient near field communication (NFC) transactions used for mobile ticketing and check in, stored value, mobile credit, and Internet commerce payments. The sensor is also specially designed to uphold to common wear and tear of the externally exposed sensor including minor bumps and scratches. The Hitachi W51H phone will be available for a $150 pricetag with a contract, and will be available to KDDI customers later this month.