In June, it introduced a phone called the Ascend P6 in London.
Samsung Electronics, for example, has introduced a phone embedded in a wristwatch and another with a built-in television set.
Last year, in an attempt to take on the cellular service companies, Telecom Italia introduced a phone called Aladino.
It's the first time Sony Mobile Communications, the company's mobile phone division, has introduced a phone in the United States since it broke ties with the Ericsson brand.
One carrier, Vodafone, even introduced a phone that offered unlimited Facebook use for a year, free with the 3,810 rupee phone purchase.
In Korea, Ms. Johnson noted, the phone maker LG recently introduced a phone that allows people to measure their glucose levels.
American Airlines has introduced a phone feature that lets it do a better job of automating calls that do not require human help.
REUTERS With a Phone, Facebook's International Push | Facebook is expected to introduce a phone on Thursday, as part of an effort to make money from users in emerging markets, The New York Times reports.
The move came about a month after LG's domestic rival, Samsung Electronics, introduced a phone called the Galaxy Round, which it billed as the first smartphone with a curved display.
Patrick Ness, author of The Crane Wife and other books, said on Twitter: "Apple introduced a phone with the same crappy battery, a wristwatch no one wants and killed the iPod Classic.
