New Original Smartphone Rakuten Hand Released Today

Tokyo, December 8, 2020 – Rakuten Mobile, Inc. today announced the release of the Rakuten Hand, a new original 4G smartphone available for purchase online from 9 a.m. today on the official Rakuten Mobile site, and at Rakuten Mobile stores around the country from December 12. The Rakuten Hand is available in 3 colors: Black, White and Crimson Red, and is priced at 20,000 yen (including tax).

Coinciding with the launch of the Rakuten Hand, a limited-time point-back campaign offers customers who purchase the device and apply for a Rakuten UN-LIMIT V^*1 contract up to 15,020 Rakuten Points^*2, practically reducing the customer purchase price of the Rakuten Hand to 4,980 yen (including tax).

Featuring a 5.1-inch OLED display equipped with Mobile FeliCa, the Rakuten Hand is the world’s slimmest smartphone by horizontal width^*3. With curved edges and a weight of approximately 129 grams, this original 4G device from Rakuten Mobile is lightweight and easy to use one-handed. The main rear-facing camera features a wide-angle camera (approx. 48 megapixels) and a depth sensing camera, making it possible to take portrait shots where the subject stands out against a blurred background. The 16-megapixel front-facing camera features a variety of modes for selfies, such as a beauty mode and animation effects. The Rakuten Hand supports 4x4 MIMO^*4, which offers higher transmission speeds than 2x2 MIMO, the typical transmission method for 4G smartphones. Like other Rakuten Mobile original smartphones, the Rakuten Hand is equipped with an eSIM and is SIM lock free.

In addition, leather cases for the Rakuten Hand will also go on sale on the official Rakuten Mobile site and on Rakuten Books. When purchasing a Rakuten Hand smartphone and a leather case together from the official Rakuten Mobile site, the leather case will cost 980 yen (including tax), instead of the standard 2,880 yen (including tax).

To celebrate the launch of the Rakuten Hand, two new TV commercials will be broadcast nationwide in Japan starting December 12, one of which features Andres Iniesta, star midfielder for Rakuten Group’s J.League soccer club Vissel Kobe. The first commercial shows the Rakuten Hand being spun around the hand in a series of hand tricks, highlighting the features of the product. In the second commercial, Andres Iniesta, wearing the 2021 season Vissel Kobe uniform, is handed the Rakuten Hand during a match as if he were receiving a yellow card from the referee. He is pleasantly surprised by the comfortable fit and design of the device, exclaiming, “I got a Hand!”

Comment from Andres Iniesta

“Hi, this is Andres Iniesta. Congratulations to Rakuten Mobile on the release of their newest original smartphone, the Rakuten Hand. The Rakuten Hand is easy to hold and fits comfortably in the hand. I had a chance to try the Rakuten Hand when making the commercial and I really like it. Please give it a try. I got a Hand!”

Overview of the commercials

Commercial titles: “Rakuten Hand – Hand Tricks version” (15s), “Rakuten Hand – Iniesta I got a Hand! version” (15s)

Commercial broadcast date: From December 12, 2020

Commercial broadcast regions: Japan, nationwide

Stars: Andres Iniesta (only in "Rakuten Hand – Iniesta I got a Hand! version”)

Advertising agency: ADK Marketing Solutions Inc.

Profile of Andres Iniesta

Full name: Andrés Iniesta Luján

Date of birth: May 11, 1984 (36 years old)

Height/weight: 171cm/68kg

Birthplace: Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Position: MF

Andrés Iniesta is a world-class midfielder who leads the team with his excellent ball control and spatial awareness. After entering FC Barcelona’s cantera at the age of 12, he made his debut for FC Barcelona in 2002, playing for the club for 16 years. Since 2015, he led FC Barcelona as captain, and in November 2017, signed a lifelong contract with the club. In the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Iniesta’s goal in extra time brought Spain its first title in the tournament. He transferred to Vissel Kobe from FC Barcelona in May 2018.

Overview of the Rakuten Hand

Main product features

• 4G, equipped with an eSIM
• World’s slimmest smartphone by width equipped with Mobile FeliCa^*3
• 5.1-inch OLED display
• Main rear-facing camera: wide angle camera (approx. 48 megapixels), depth sensing camera. Front-facing camera: approx. 16 megapixels
• Supports 4x4 MIMO high speed transmission
• Includes Osaifu Keitai®
• Facial recognition and in-display fingerprint sensor
• Memory: RAM 4GB; ROM 64GB
• Weight: Approx. 129g
• Battery: Approx. 2,750mAh

Sales channels

Rakuten Hand

• Release date:
  • Online: From 9 a.m., December 8, 2020
  • In stores: December 12, 2020 (Available from the time each store opens)
• Price: 20,000 yen (including tax)

Rakuten Hand Leather Cases

• On sale from 9 a.m., December 8, 2020
• Price: 2,880 yen (including tax)
• Sales channels: Rakuten Mobile official site, Rakuten Books

* 980 yen (including tax) when purchased as part of a set with the Rakuten Hand device

Rakuten Hand product page:

https://network.mobile.rakuten.co.jp/product/smartphone/rakuten-hand/ (Japanese only)

Campaign overviews

Rakuten Hand Launch Campaign

Campaign period:

• Online: From 9 a.m., December 8, 2020 (Date campaign ends to be decided)
• In store: From December 8, 2020 (Date campaign ends to be decided)

Eligible customers: Customers who apply for both the Rakuten Hand and Rakuten UN-LIMIT V contract

* Customers who only purchase the Rakuten Hand are not eligible for the campaign.

Reward: 10,020 Rakuten Points will be awarded at a later date

Rakuten UN-LIMIT V Application Campaign

Campaign period:

Online and in stores: From 9 a.m., December 8, 2020

* In store: From December 8, 2020 (From time of opening of store)

Eligible customers: Customers who are applying for their first Rakuten UN-LIMIT V contract

* Customers who are switching from the Rakuten Mobile Super Hodai plan are also eligible

Reward: 5,000 Rakuten Points will be awarded at a later date

Rakuten Hand campaign page:

https://network.mobile.rakuten.co.jp/campaign/rakuten-hand/ (Japanese only)

*1 Please see the following site for details about the price of the Rakuten UN-LIMIT V service plan:

https://network.mobile.rakuten.co.jp/fee/un-limit/detail/ (Japanese only)

*2 Customers who purchase the Rakuten Hand and sign up for a Rakuten UN-LIMIT V contract will earn 10,020 Rakuten Points. New customers signing up for their first contract will also receive an additional 5,000 Rakuten Points, for a total of 15,020 Rakuten Points. Through these campaigns, customers can practically purchase the Rakuten Hand for 4,980 yen (including tax).

*3 For a Mobile FeliCa equipped smartphone with a display of 5 inches or larger (as of September 28, 2020). Research: Stella Associa

*4 Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output. A technology to improve data transmission volume and speeds by installing 4 antennas in both the device and base station.

* The company names, product and service names in this press release are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

* The product images and screenshots appearing in this release are visualizations. Actual products and screen content may differ from the visualizations above.