If you're more concerned about your ability to record stunning high-definition video on the road than you are about your ability to comfortably and conveniently say the name of your phone, look no further than the latest model in Hitachi's Wooo series over in Japan. Announced earlier in the year, the Mobile Hi-Vision Cam Wooo stands starkly as one of the longest, most unfortunate model names in phone history, but we suspect that the presence of 30fps 720p recording will quickly allay any disappointment you may have with branding. Anyhow, it's finally available now on KDDI au, the country's big CDMA provider -- so go on, show us what sort of Oscar-caliber stuff you can cook up.

It may be a Japan exclusive for now, but Hitachi's Mobile Hi-Vision Cam Wooo has folks drooling from sea to shining sea. The cats over at Akihabara News were able to take a glimpse while KDDI unveiled its summer lineup, and they seemed to be quite impressed with the video quality and ease of use. Check the read link for a video of the flip phone in action, but remember, don't get too attached unless you call Japan home.

Japanese carrier KDDI au has now followed Softbank and NTT DoCoMo in pulling the red velvet cover off its summer 2009 devices, and as always, there are some neat tricks in here. From Toshiba, the Biblio is billed as an e-book reader; granted, it's using an LCD instead of an E-Ink display, but it's a doozy at 3.5 inches at 960 x 480. It features 7GB of user-accessible storage on board for books, and also has a slide-out dynamic keyboard that can display a numeric pad in the portrait orientation or full QWERTY in landscape. Moving on, the Sharp Sportio Water Beat -- as its name suggests -- is a waterproof sports-oriented set with advanced calorie and distance tracking (a la Nike+), but you're still never too far from your true destiny as a couch potato thanks to the phone's one-seg reception. Next, the Hitachi Mobile Hi-Vision Cam Wooo is the latest in the multimedia-centric Wooo series, becoming KDDI's first phone capable of 720p video recording at 30fps -- and there's HDMI-out on board for when the time comes to enjoy your footage. Finally, the SH002 is the realization of Sharp's solar phone concept from earlier this year, delivering one minute of talk time for every 10 minutes of charge time. There are other announcements in the mix here -- eight new phones in total -- but those were the killers of the bunch, and as always, this post is about as close as most North Americans will ever get to them.

[Via Engadget Japanese]

While it won't be the first handset to capture 720p video (hello, OmniaHD!), Hitachi's Mobile Hi-Vision Cam Woo is still apt to garner quite a bit of attention. As the leaked images hosted down below show, this clever flip phone packs 1,280 x 720 video recording, a 5 megapixel sensor, HDMI interface and a microSDHC slot for good measure. A generous tipster has informed us that said phone is slated to launch this coming Monday on KDDI, though we fully expect that envious North Americans won't ever get to toy with one on their home turf. For shame.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

So KDDI's latest lineup of new phones features the usual array of 8.1 megapixel cameras, wide VGA displays, one-seg TV tuners, and teleporters, but one particular handset stood out: Hitachi's Wooo H001. The dual-hinge flip's claim to fame -- well, besides the bizarre color scheme -- has to be the stereoscopic IPS display that presumably uses the same parallax barrier method shown off by the carrier late last year. The phone will happily serve up 3D-ified versions of various UI elements and mobile TV content, and when you start to get woozy (or Wooozy, as it were), just flip a switch and you're back to the reassuring flatness you're used to. It'll launch in three colors in April, and naturally, you'll have to be in Japan to get it.

[Via Akihabara News]

As Japan's CDMA big dog, KDDI au holds a unique spot in the market -- but if you think that means they're light on offerings against the more popular HSPA models supported by NTT DoCoMo and Softbank, you'd be dead wrong. The carrier's latest lineup includes a monster camera-cum-phone-cum-camera from Casio, an AQUOS-branded Sharp that's just about big enough to replace your television (not really though), and updates of older models that are still high-tech enough to make most of us look like neanderthals.


Hitachi Wooo W63H

It looks like pretty much any other Japanese flip, but the W63H probably has just about the most gorgeous screen we'll never see. Why? Turns out this sucker packs 3.1 inches of wide VGA OLED bliss, which explains why it's using the same Wooo branding as Hitachi's line of HDTVs. The phone is also capable of smoothing out one-seg's standard 15fps frame rate to 30fps, features a 5-megapixel camera, and has 600MB of storage space on board. It's available in Garnet Orange (pictured), Sapphire Black, and Opal White.



Casio EXILIM W63CA

Let's jump right into the big guns, shall we? The W63CA matches the W63H's 3.1-inch WVGA OLED display, but ups the imaging ante with a massive 8.1-megapixel (well, 8.09-megapixel, technically) camera that features face-detecting autofocus -- and it's still 1.5mm thinner than the W53CA it replaces. At 17.4mm, it's not setting any records, granted -- but every little bit helps. This one can be had in Shine Pink, Ice White, Titanium Gold, and Metal Green.



Sharp AQUOS W64SH

If 3.1 inches isn't quite enough screen for you, step right on up to the AQUOS-branded W64SH from Sharp, offering a full 3.5-inches of wide VGA action with a high-contrast LED backlight -- all told, the largest display ever offered on a KDDI phone. You still make off with a 5.2-megapixel camera, 740MB of onboard memory, and global roaming capability, too. Earth Green, Mars Red, and Galaxy Black (get the theme?) are your color options here.



Toshiba W65T

If you tend to roll with the slider crowd and the mighty W64SH is just a little more phone than you need, we might recommend the W65T, Toshiba's entry with a 3.2-megapixel cam, 2.8-inch OLED display (REGZA branded, natch), and a motion sensor that doubles as a pedometer / calorie counter. It can be had in Live Pink, Fresh White, Splash Blue, or Jet Black.



Kyocera W65K

Even the especially uninteresting phones in the lineup manage to stay interesting by doing things like, say, varying the style of the keypad between colors. Depending on whether you choose the W65K in Clair White, Fleur Pink, or Luxe Silver, you'll get a different texture of shell and a totally different look to the keypad -- techy for white, stylish for pink, and sans for silver. Oh, and the whole package is waterproof, which seems to be a popular differentiator on a few models in Japan. Otherwise, though, you're getting stuck with a 2-megapixel camera and a mere 100MB of memory, so you'd better seriously take advantage of that waterproofness with an occasional toilet or bathtub accident. And if you're curious just how waterproof it is, well, "the unit will retain its functionality as a phone even if blasted with water projected at all angles through 6.3mm nozzles at a flow rate of approximately 12.5 liters/minute for more than 3 minutes from a distance of approximately 3 meters." So there you have it.



Sony Ericsson W64S

It kinda irks us that Sony Ericsson can make beautiful CDMA devices for Japan but won't bother to ship a few to the US, where CDMA carriers have been Sony Ericsson-less for years -- but that's just the way the cookie crumbles, we suppose. The W64S offers a 3.2-megapixel camera, 2.7-inch display, GSM global roaming, and "30 different patterns of illumination" on the stylized face. Grab it in Diamond Pink, Snow White, Lattice Black, or Mist Blue.



Panasonic W62P

KDDI pulls no punches with the W62P -- it's a "fashion accessory" more than it is a monster of Japanese technology, but for some buyers, we're sure that's quite alright. Panasonic's latest flip clocks in at just 12.9mm and offers a 2-megapixel cam, 2.9-inch primary display, and automatic opening with the push of a button (a feature we'd like to see on more flips around the world, actually). It comes in your choice of Candide Pink, Charmant Gold, and Intelligent Purple.



Toshiba W64T

Borrowing cues from the W62P, the W64T is billed as a "cosmetic phone that sparkles with elegance." Translation: "more show than go." The funky face is accompanied by a 3.2-megapixel cam, 2.8-inch WQVGA display, and the usual array of features like one-seg tuning, navigation, Osaifu-Keitai for NFC payments, and downloadable fonts. Scoop this one up in Shining Pink, Shining Turquoise, or -- you guessed it -- Shining White.



Sony Ericsson Full Change re

This is the same re that we saw from the summer collection, they've just added more colors to the palette. Sony Ericsson's fashion-friendly flip is now available in Glossy White, Clean Green, Blooming Pink, Active Orange, Sleek Silver, Deep Red, Lustrous Blue, Silky Lavender (pictured), Mat Black, and Luminous Gold, plus a special James Bond Quantum of Solace edition to tie into the movie's release, which Sony sponsors.

In Japan, carriers tend to release new models in giant, blockbuster batches -- seasonal "collections" that leave the rest of the world green with envy. KDDI au is no exception, having just announced its predictably spectacular Summer 2008 lineup with entrants from Kyocera, Sony Ericsson, Sanyo, Sharp, Toshiba, Casio, and Korea's Pantech. Here's the rundown:

• Hitachi Wooo W62H. KDDI is emphasizing this one's video and 3D gaming capabilities, both of which are assisted by the presence of a 2-way hinge for flipping out the screen in a landscape orientation. Comes in blue, silver, and black.
• Sharp W62SH. The FM transmitter's kinda cool, and the three-inch WVGA screen should be perfect for watching Spiderman 2, which comes bundled with the phone. Purple, white, and gold are the color choices.
• Sanyo W63SA. Global CDMA roaming and an integrated English-Japanese dictionary makes this one a solid choice for world travelers. Get this one in red, silver, or black.
• Toshiba Sportio. As the name implies, this one's all about burnin' those calories with an integrated calorie counter. The candybar form factor is a refreshing change of pace in the lineup, but too bad about that QVGA display! Five colors to choose from here: orange, black, white, green, and red.
• Casio G'zOne W62CA. Like its counterparts on Verizon, the W62CA is designed to take a beating without falling apart. It's impact resistant and waterproof, features a compass, thermometer, and GPS, and naturally, one-seg TV. Get it in green, black, or white.
• Sanyo W64SA. This fashionable flip has some crazy light effects to go along with its crazy selection of colors, but other than that, it seems pretty pedestrian. If you can call a 2.8-inch WVGA display "pedestrian." It's available in pink, white, yellow, and black.
• Sony Ericsson Full Change re. The WQVGA display is one metric ton of weak sauce, but as the "Full Change" name suggests, five individual pieces can be removed from the front, back, and top of the phone to create a totally customized handset. Shell choices include white, pink, green, orange, and silver.
• Toshiba W62T. Seriously, what's up with all this WQVGA garbage? The W62T appears destined for the midrange, though the 3.2 megapixel camera ain't bad. Colors for this one are gold, pink, and black.
• Kyocera W64K. Possibly leading up the bottom end of the collection, the W64K rocks a WQVGA display and a weak 2 megapixel cam. We see "basic capabilities" mentioned a couple times in the translated description for it, so that says pretty much all we need to know. Pink and gold are the only color options here.
• Kyocera W62K. Whoa, and we thought the W64K was low end! 1.3 megapixel cam, QVGA (yeah, that's right, QVGA, not WQVGA) display. 'Nuff said. Beige, blue, and black are the choices here.
• Kyocera W63K. The W63K candybar is just 10.8mm thick, but we're still not sure that we can forgive it for a meager 1.3 megapixel camera. Kyocera's seriously dragging here, in case you haven't noticed the trend. Black, burgundy, and beige.
• Pantech W62PT. The only phone in the lineup sourced from a non-Japanese manufacturer, the Pantech's nothing to get too excited about with a QVGA display, but the presence of quick dial buttons directly below the screen indicates that this one's designed for folks that are looking for a simple, easy-to-use phone that's just enough to make voice calls -- and ironically, it's still better than a good percentage of the phones you'll find elsewhere in the world. It'll come in silver, gold, and pink.

Not a bad showing, especially considering that KDDI au stands out as Japan's major CDMA carrier in a country dominated by FOMA. Get 'em while they're hot, folks -- you know it's just a few months before the next collection debuts!