AU by KDDI Infobar

Evaluation in my collection: Great – 9.5/10

Life timer: N/A  |  Boxed: NO

Release Year: 2003  |  Release Price: n/a

About: INFOBAR is the first terminal of the au design project . The base model is Sanyo Multimedia Tottori’s A5306ST , and there is almost no difference in performance except for the presence or absence of a sub-display (A5306ST has it, but INFOBAR does not). The prototype model “info.bar”, which was exhibited as a reference at the “Business Show 2002 TOKYO” held from May 17th to 19th, 2002 , is the basis of the design. Designed by product designer Naoto Fukasawa . The software also has a unified feel, with the image of a terminal design.

The housing is a straight type made of magnesium [1] . External memory is not supported. The camera is a 310,000 pixel CCD . There are three color variations: NISHIKIGOI (red and beige. Light blue on the button), ICHIMATSU (black and white), and BUILDING (indigo and silver). From April 2004 , ANNIN (white) was released as a new color. This color naming uses the name that engineers naturally started to call at the time of development. The response of INFOBAR was very large, and many stores were sold out after the release date.

This model is the last model made by Tottori Sanyo Electric, and the symbol at the end of the model number is “ST”. Subsequent terminals made by Tottori Sanyo Electric are the same as the terminals made by Sanyo Electric in Osaka, and the end of the model number. The symbol of is “SA”.

Selected for the 2003 Good Design Award [1] , and received the “iF Product Design Award” from the German iF Design Award in 2005 [2] . In 2007, the same model was selected as a collection in the Museum of Modern Art, New York , USA [ 3] , and in 2013, in the Indianapolis Museum of Art, USA [4] .

Reviews when released: K Tai