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New NTT DoCoMo phone: Man's best friend?

A new phone from Japan's NTT DoCoMo can disable itself when separated from its owner for too long.

Leslie_Katz.jpg
Leslie_Katz.jpg
Leslie Katz Former Culture Editor
Leslie Katz led a team that explored the intersection of tech and culture, plus all manner of awe-inspiring science, from space to AI and archaeology. When she's not smithing words, she's probably playing online word games, tending to her garden or referring to herself in the third person.
Credentials
  • Third place film critic, 2021 LA Press Club National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards
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Leslie Katz

Talk about a loyal handset! Japan's NTT DoCoMo has launched a new cell phone from Panasonic that can identify its owner via facial-recognition technology. It can also disable itself when separated from said owner for too long and, if lost, can be tracked through its onboard GPS.

The P903i comes with a wireless card, small enough to fit in a wallet or purse, that works as a security key by connecting with the mobile phone via Bluetooth, the Associated Press reports.

Consumers who lose their security cards can punch in a password to unlock the phone. But they will have to buy a new card to set the lock again, the article says. No word on what happens if people forget their passwords.

(Photo: NTT DoCoMo)