SoftBank's iPhone pricing roughly in line with AT&T's
Japan's only carrier to seal the deal with Apple thus far, SoftBank Mobile, has unveiled key details about its pricing strategy when the device launches on July 11 alongside the rest of the globe. The 8GB and 16GB models will sell for ¥23,040 (about $214) and ¥34,560 (about $321) respectively, just a hair higher than the $199 and $299 being charged by AT&T in the US. As might be expected, SoftBank -- which has historically stolen customers from its competitors with extremely aggressive pricing -- is taking a more aloof approach with the iPhone, claiming that the prestige of the device will be enough to get people in the door. Along those lines, a ¥7,280 (about $68) per month plan will be required, which includes unlimited data and represents about a 70 percent premium over the average SoftBank customer's bill. Without one-seg or a wide VGA display -- two features that are virtually givens on domestic Japanese handsets these days -- it'll be interesting to see how the "yeah, but it's Apple" approach flies here.
[Via mocoNews]
