ZTE Corporation and SoftBank, Japan’s top telecommunications operator, announced that their jointly developed Android smartphone, Libero, will be available throughout Japan later in December. The Libero will be the first Chinese smartphone to launch in Japan.

Also known as the SoftBank 003Z or ZTE Blade, the introduction of the Libero into the high end mobile market in Japan is a significant breakthrough for ZTE.

The Libero is ZTE’s second handset developed in collaboration with SoftBank – the first being the SoftBank 840Z, which was launched in late October this year.

Weighing 115 grams and at 114 x 56 x 12.2mm in size, the Libero is the thinnest and lightest smartphone offering in SoftBank’s winter-spring 2010/2011 product lineup. The smartphone uses the latest Android 2.2 operating system, incorporates a 3.5-inch WVGA TFT display, and supports Japanese, English and Chinese languages. Prior to the Japan launch, the ZTE Blade had already achieved success in Europe, having been launched in Britain, France, Germany, Finland, Norway, Turkey, Hungary, as well as in 20 other countries across Europe.

"Japan is a market leader in technology trends and we are delighted our cell phones and mobile broadband products are now available in the Japanese market, “ said Suo Donghui, president of ZTE Japan. “Through ZTE’s personalized customization and innovation, we can bring advanced, forward-thinking and cost-effective products, as well as great user experiences to Japanese users.”