Japan’s Hello Kitty flip phone shows you don’t need to be smart if you’re cute

The Hello Kitty phone, now up for pre-order in Japan, shown with its packaging.

With a height of five apples and the weight of three, Hello Kitty has been a wholesome and beloved icon of Japan and the world since 1974. The Hello Kitty franchise is worth about US$7 billion a year, and the character’s latest incarnation is this new Hello Kitty flip phone.

The phone runs a version of Android, but its main functions are simple calling and messaging. It has a 1.54-inch (3.91 cm) screen and fits in the palm of your hand when folded closed. It supports both GSM and WCDMA for 2G and 3G, meaning it would work on AT&T and T-Mobile networks if you can get it out of Japan.

Check out the different angles of this frisky pussy cat. Photo credit: Ola.

The phone is Kitty through and through. The bowtie in Kitty’s hair lights up when calls come in. You can choose from different ringtones including three provided by Sanrio, the creator of the franchise. It has wifi and Bluetooth, but selfie lovers may be disappointed at the lack of a camera. The cute cat sitting on the homescreen just might make up for it though.

I want it meow

The Hello Kitty flip phone is the creation of Hideki Taguchi. At his previous company, Hideki visited China frequently and the subject of making smartphones often came up. During one of his trips Hideki was amazed by the number of fake Mickey Mouse characters and other wacky things that were being made into devices.

“There were so many characters – but I was really surprised by this super compact phone that looked like the key of a BMW,” he tells Tech in Asia.

The idea of a phone that does not look like a phone intrigued Hideki, who saw the business potential of a proper licensing deal to use a popular character combined with a mobile phone service. So he quit his job to begin a startup – and this phone is the first result.

Half of people in Japan still do not own a smartphone.

The Hello Kitty phone is not locked to a telco but will come with a SIM card for Ola, the phone service startup that Hideki created. Users can make online phone calls like Skype with a plan starting under US$10 or for around US$15 they can make regular calls. Kitty-to-Kitty cat calls are free.

Hideki is focusing on the 50.3 percent of people in Japan who still do not have a smartphone. That makes for a lot of people still attached to their flip phones.

Although Hello Kitty was originally marketed to children, it has developed a large following among older women. Hideki says the phone’s target is women from 20 to 50 years old.