Japanese Carrier Willcom Introduces ‘The World’s Smallest And Lightest Phone’

As Samsung (LON:BC94) and others continue to test the boundaries of acceptability (and usability) by turning out ever-larger “phablet” smartphones, one Japanese company is taking the opposite approach.

Willcom has unveiled a new entry that it is calling the world's “smallest and lightest phone.” Known as the Phone Strap 2 WX06A, the tiny device measures 32 x 70 x 10.7mm and weighs 32 grams, it said.

As the successor to Willcom’s original Phone Strap, the Phone Strap 2 WX06A is actually slightly thicker than its predecessor, which measured 10.5mm. Willcom said it managed to trim down the new Phone Strap by one gram while adding several essential features, including email.

As far as features and specs, the Phone Strap 2’s offerings are almost as thin as the phone itself. It has a one-inch LCD screen, with a 96 x 96 pixel resolution. By comparison, Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone 5 has a 4-inch display screen, with an 1136 x 640 resolution. That’s a lot more display space (not to mention the phone’s internal processing power), but the iPhone 5 is also 80 grams heavier and significantly larger at 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm.

Given the Phone Strap 2’s minuscule measurements, the phone has no camera, no native apps, and not much in the way of internal storage. The battery, meanwhile, supports only two hours of talk time.

In a statement, Willcom said the device was designed to be an accessory for larger smartphones, which can support a fuller range of features.

Willcom said the Phone Strap 2 will be released in Japan later this year in white, pink, and black. The company gave no details about pricing or any potential release outside of Japan.