Google Android could be headed to Japan and North Korea courtesy of NTT DoCoMo and its South Korean partner KTF. The two companies are considering developing an Android-based smartphone for release in 2009. A final decision is still pending though, according to a DoCoMo spokesperson.
Using Android would allow the companies to sell their smartphone at a price about 20 percent lower than other smartphones. Much of the price difference can be attributed to the fact that Google offers Android for free.
Assuming that DoCoMo does go ahead and is not beaten to the punch by a competitor (for example, KDDI Corp), this new phone would be the first to be powered by Android in Japan and South Korea.