According to some Korean news articles (which quote from Japan's Nippon Business Newspaper), Korean wireless carrier KTF is working on a new Android-based smartphone, in partnership with Japan's NTT Docomo.
KTF and NTT Docomo have set up a joint effort called Business & Technology Cooperation Committee, and the two companies together launched a phone model called FOMA L706ie in Japan.
As the smartphone market becomes too significant for carriers to simply look past (which had been pretty much their practice until the iPhone came around), apparently Docomo and KTF have chosen to tackle the challenges together. This somehow reminds me of late-comer auto companies joining forces on some R&D efforts like hybrid engines.
What is not certain at this point is whether or not KTF is embracing Android at the expense of ditching its long-rumored iPhone plans. It would be cool if KTF launches both the iPhone and Android-based phones together. After all, Korean market remains one of only few markets sans iPhone despite market needs (at least by the high end users), and this is a rather prominent market void to be filled.
