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Chapter 587: AKAI Phone Craze
🕑 Added 2025-08-18 01:39:49 +0000 UTCFriday, 15 May 1995
After just a couple of days from the official release date and only a week after Zaboru’s much-hyped presentation, the AKAI Phone Z1 absolutely exploded in the market, capturing headlines, dominating sales charts, and sparking conversations in every corner of the tech world.
First of all, because it was incredibly cheap compared to other available phones in the current market, people became very interested in buying one. Price alone pulled in a massive crowd of first‑time buyers who might never have considered owning a mobile device before. Then came the utilities — it had a calculator, notes, and a few other small but useful features that surprised many people. For students, this meant quick calculations during study sessions; for office workers, it meant jotting down reminders or lists without carrying extra stationery. These simple functions gave the phone a sense of being more than just a calling device, and users were genuinely delighted that phones could handle everyday tasks they hadn’t expected them to.
Next, the ringtones also played a big role in attracting attention. Unlike other phones that were stuck with the same old monotonous “beep beep, boop boop” tones, the AKAI Z1 allowed users to choose from a wide variety of ringtones. This freedom to personalize their phones made people feel more connected to the device, since they could select a tone that matched their taste, personality, or mood. Some preferred cheerful tunes, others wanted something cool or dramatic, and even the simple option to switch between different sounds made the experience fresh. This small but thoughtful feature made the Z1 feel modern, fun, and far less boring than the competition.
Next came the ZAGE fans. They bought the AKAI Z1 largely because it carried the ZAGE name, a brand they already trusted and admired. On top of that, the builtin games were a huge draw and quickly became a talking point among players. Snakes and Space Impact, two brand‑new titles, captured attention right away and offered quick entertainment whenever people had a spare moment. These games made the phone feel like a pocket‑sized gaming device in addition to being a mobile phone. Meanwhile, the gamer brand knew that Tetris Portable was already available on the ZGB (the ZAGE Game Boy handheld console).
Bill Gates even praised this phone as revolutionary, noting that it marked a turning point in how people viewed mobile devices. He was genuinely delighted that phones were now able to do more than just make calls, describing the AKAI Z1 as a bold glimpse into the future of portable computing and communication.
Meanwhile, Hikaru Kurata, Sonaya’s CEO, became increasingly interested in stepping into the rapidly growing cell phone market. Rather than starting entirely from scratch and taking years to catch up, Kurata considered a bold move — acquiring an established player such as Ericsson. His vision was that by purchasing an experienced company with existing infrastructure, patents, and distribution channels, Sonaya could fasttrack its entry and begin competing on a global scale. This strategic idea reflected Kurata’s determination to ensure Sonaya would not just join the industry, but eventually stand as a serious rival. In the near future, he made it clear that Sonaya aimed to venture fully into the mobile phone market, bringing its own style, innovation, and design philosophy to the competition Kurata want to ensure that while Sonaya are very lacking against ZAGE in video games industry atleast they can match them in Mobile Phone Industry.
As for Nokia, they quickly attempted a countermeasure by spreading negative reviews of the AKAI Z1. However, this strategy completely backfired, damaging their credibility more than AKAI’s reputation. Realizing this, Nokia gave up on smear tactics and instead shifted their focus toward developing new phones that could genuinely rival the Z1. At the moment, Nokia’s devices were known for being more durable and more expensive than the AKAI Z1, but beyond durability, they lacked the features and appeal that made the Z1 such a phenomenon. Determined to change that, Nokia began planning a new generation of phones designed to capture consumer interest in ways their current lineup simply could not.
Hyoga Akai was overjoyed beyond words! The sheer volume of AKAI Z1 units sold was nothing short of staggering, and each new sales milestone felt almost unreal to him. The brand that had once been relatively unknown was now shining brightly across the globe, and Hyoga’s pride nearly brought him to tears. For him, the Z1 wasn’t just a product — it was the turning point that placed AKAI among the world’s most recognizable technology companies. Yet, while Hyoga was still caught up in his emotions, Zaboru was already moving forward. He wasted no time and immediately reached out to him, pushing them to begin research and development on ideas for the next generation of AKAI Phone. To Hyoga’s guidance, the company accepted Zaboru’s suggestions without hesitation. At this point, Zaboru’s words carried such weight and trust that AKAI was prepared to follow his vision wherever it led, convinced that his guidance would pave the way for even greater success.
Zaboru was already envisioning an ambitious feature for the next AKAI phone, expected to arrive in roughly one or two years. He explained to the AKAI teams that he wanted their next device to include a colored screen — something far beyond the monochrome displays of the present — and deliver performance that was significantly stronger than the current AKAI Z1. He had already shared detailed ideas on how the engineers could approach this leap forward, and with his guidance, the AKAI company began laying the foundation for their next major project: the AKAI Phone Z2.
After this Zaboru had another plan which was to visit his sister's schools for School Events before fly to america again.
To be continue
