NTT DOCOMO, INC. announced today that it has cancelled its planned launch of the docomo PRO series Nokia E71 handset due to Nokia Corporation’s decision to terminate sales of all Japan-specific handsets through Japanese operators.

DOCOMO had previously announced on November 5 its plan to release Nokia’s thin smartphone with QWERTY keyboard sometime between February and March 2009. Nokia will discontinue mobile device sales and marketing activities in Japan but its luxury lines of mobile devices, the Vertu, will be continue on sale in Japan.