DoCoMo working on Android handset

Leading Japanese mobile carrier NTT DoCoMo has revealed that it is working with Google on Android-based handsets for the Japanese market.

At a press conference in Tokyo on Thursday, the Japanese giant announced a partnership agreement with the web firm to deliver search services, mobile advertising and potential i-mode applications to DoCoMo’s customers.

There was also a fairly guarded revelation that the two firms studying the possibility of bringing Android based handsets to the Japanese market.

The two companies intend to making Google services easier to access through i-mode handsets, and DoCoMo is to pre-load Google Maps onto upcoming handsets.

Google Search will also be embedded within the i-mode search application with search results accompanied by key word based advertisements using Google’s AdWords platform.

The i-mode service will also get an overhaul to better feature Gmail, YouTube and Picasa, with Google set to appear as the default start-page on the full browser.

Earlier this month, Mobile Linux shop a la Mobile unveiled what looks to be the industry’s first demonstration of fully fledged applications based on Google’s Android platform.

The apps were running on HTC’s ageing Qtek 9090 smartphone and a la Mobile demonstrated a web browser, phone dialer, audio player, maps, camera, games, calendar, contacts manager, calculator, tasks manager and notes.