Fujitsu flaunts quad-core ICS, bucketload of dunkable phones

Like cosplay and Hello Kitty, Fujitsu phones are big in Japan. If you're wondering why you've never seen one of their phones that's because they aren't currently on sale in the UK.

All that is set to change though, as the Japanese giant is planning to shake a tail feather and export its smart phone smarts to Europe -- imminently, if an FT report is on the money.

So what can you expect from Fujitsu's phones when they land on our shores?

Plenty of power, for starters -- I snapped this Fujitsu prototype being demoed at Mobile World Congress which boasts a quad-core-plus-one chip (and runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich). Most of Fujitsu's Arrows line of smart phones also pack dual-core chips.

Lashings of Android Gingerbread is another Fujitsu theme, but it's not pure Droid -- there are more than a few of Fujitsu's own software sprinkles on top.

On the design front, the Japanese giant has a penchant for sleek, slender slabs that can be very thin indeed -- one phone it describes as ultra-thin is a skeletal 6.7mm. Screen sizes often hover around the 4.3 inch mark, although it does have some more compact 'fashionista' phones in its line-up too.

The company also has some more curious junk in its trunk -- one device, made in collaboration with GlobeTrotter, has a leather-look back stamped with brass-coloured rivets to resemble an old fashioned suitcase. I suspect you can file that one under 'only in Japan'.

But by far Fujitsu's biggest preoccupation is dunking phones in fish tanks -- to prove they are indeed truly, madly, not-too-deeply waterproof.

And when it's not making phones swim with the fishes, it's dropping iron balls on their screens to show how tough they are, despite their size-zero waists. So move over Motorola, there's a new tough guy coming to town.

Click through the gallery to see more of the devices Fujitsu is flaunting, and follow all the phone insanity at Mobile World Congress at mwc.cnet.co.uk. If you thought you were already spoiled for smart phone choice, prepare to do a whole lot more hm-ing and ha-ing...

This Arrows handset packs a 1.2GHz dual-core chip, WiMax high-speed data and a 13.1-megapixel camera. Oh and it's waterproof. Crivens!

Here's another slabby creation from the Arrows line -- this one teams LTE with a dual-core chip and the same massive camera.

This slender slab from the Arrows line includes a fingerprint sensor for security and Android 2.3.

If you were wondering how thin these phones really are, here's Fujitsu's thinnest Arrows: just 6.7mm and still up for a dip with the fishes.

Here's Fujitsu proving its phones have got balls of iron. If only they'd realised balls of steel would have sounded so much better.

Yep, we're just chilling in the fish tank. What of it?

Fujitsu also has a line of fashion phones with delicate patterns and jewel-encrusted facias. Pastel pink or white are the colours of choice.

Here's a Fujitsu phone that mated with a suitcase -- and can still be dunked in your cup of tea!

The Japanese giant is a dab hand at wireless charging -- as demoed by this snazzy dock.