NEC Mobile Communications was a mobile phone manufacturer established 1 May 2010. It started as a joint venture among three Japanese electronics manufacturers NEC, Casio and Hitachi, where NEC owned 70.74%, Casio 20.00% and Hitachi 9.26%.[1] At one point, the company was the second largest maker of mobile terminals in Japan.[2] The company headquarters was in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. The company dissolved in March 2016.

NEC Mobile Communications
Founded2010

History

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The company was formed as NEC Casio Mobile Communications as a result of a merger between the mobile handset division of NEC and the former joint venture between Casio and Hitachi, Casio Hitachi Mobile Communications, established 1 April 2004.[3]

After seeing declining shares in domestic market, NEC Casio announced its withdrawal from smartphone manufacturing business in July 2013.[4] Then in December 2013, Casio and Hitachi sold their stake in the company to NEC, making it a fully owned subsidiary of NEC.[5] The company renamed to NEC Mobile Communications in October 2014.[6]

In December 2015, NEC announced that it will acquire all mobile phone business from NEC Mobile Communications at March 2016.[7] The company was dissolved shortly after.[8]

Products

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  • MEDIAS smartphone line (domestic market)
  • Gz'One featurephone and smartphone line (domestic, international markets)
  • EXILIM featurephones
  • CanU featurephones (South Korean market)
  • Medias Tab tablets

References

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  1. ^ Corporate profile
  2. ^ Toto, Serkan (27 May 2010). "New Japanese cell phone behemoth NEC Casio Mobile to go America soon". MobileCrunch. AOL Tech.
  3. ^ "Casio and Hitachi Announce Joint Venture Details For Casio Hitachi Mobile Communications Co., Ltd". Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
  4. ^ "携帯電話端末事業の見直しについて".
  5. ^ "NECカシオモバイルコミュニケーションズ社の経営体制変更について".
  6. ^ "NECカシオ、今年10月から社名を「NECモバイルコミュニケーションズ」に変更! 既存商品のサポートは引き続き継続".
  7. ^ "携帯電話端末事業の体制見直しについて".
  8. ^ "NECモバイル解散、携帯事業はNECが引き継ぐ形に".