HTC 10 in Camellia Red primed for purchase in Japan

When the three major mobile carriers in Japan announced their rather anemic product portfolio for the Summer 2016 season, several smartphone staples were missing. One has appeared, though to be fair, it’s actually a 10. The HTC10 specifically, and true to rumors that suggested it, Japan will indeed be getting the elusive Camellia Red color variant:

The phone is set for release on Japan’s smallest major mobile service provider, KDDI au, sometime in mid-June, and while pricing has not been set, it will probably retail for around 90,000 yen, or roughly $810. For reference, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge which launched a few weeks ago, is even more expensive. Phones in Japan are typically much more costly than they are overseas, something that was covered with last year’s bizarre Nexus situation that saw the mid-range 5X retail for more than the premium 6P. 

Spec-wise the phone is the same as the international variant with the exception that 1-Seg wireless broadcasting will be included (most likely via an included headset adapter) and the 10 will be compatible with Japan’s variant of NFC, called FeliCa.

Curiously there will be no silver colored variant made available to customers, with the other two options being the black and gold shades.

Those immediately considering importing the device should be aware that (1) KDDI au operates on a CDMA network, (2) Japanese carriers make customers wait for 6 months after purchase before the phones can be unlocked, and (3) Japanese carriers are absolutely atrocious when it comes to firmware updates. This last point is all the more pertinent given that au will have an untold amount of bloat burned into the ROM, and HTChas zero market presence in Japan; Android N likely wouldn’t land on it until Spring/Summer 2017 or later.

Given the emergence of this red color in one market, it is likely only a matter of time before it hits Asia major, or at the very least Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China.

What do you think? Does the phone look righteous in red, or are you fine with the existing colors instead? Would you consider buying the satin shade if it was available in your market? Leave a comment below!