Softbank to sell (UMTS 3G) iPhone in Japan

Japan's third-largest mobile phone operator now has rights to Apple's iPhone. As has been the norm recently, the announcement is a one-liner without any details related to exclusivity (NTT DoCoMo and KDDI still can has a chanceburger) or model... though it should be noted that Softbank is a W-CDMA (UMTS 3G), not GSM/EDGE carrier. Softbank only says that they'll be selling the iPhone "later this year."

[steve @ Jun 4th 2008 3:14AM]

This suggests that the 3g iphone is not coming as soon as some hope.

[Tannerozzy @ Jun 4th 2008 3:19AM]

eh, not really
3G iPhone can come out in america this month, and make it's way to japan by christmas. remember that's how the first iPhone went about as well. it spread through countries as it aged.

[Jakob Henner @ Jun 4th 2008 3:58AM]

Or even better: Worldwide launch in late June, early July.

[Zak @ Jun 4th 2008 4:05AM]

They sell iphones in Laox, in Akihabra for 90,000 Yen. Nice mark up eh?

[Vagrant @ Jun 4th 2008 8:31AM]

I think this is coming sooner than you think. Apple was initially in talks with DoCoMo with Softbank as the alternative, but DoCoMo and Apple weren't seeing eye-to-eye.

Softbank can do the job, but my question is the pricing on the data connection. Currently it would eat anyone alive. It's just outrageous. Softbank, like AT&T also offers the HTC Kaiser as a business needs phone/PDA. I'd be happy if Softbank brings the data costs into line and I know the 3G iPhone will be a hit here, as well as a miss for some. Some like it, some don't, but those data costs could kill it. (If you're renting a SIM from Softbank, the cost really become insane for data.)

One handed messaging isn't a problem on the iPhone either, which most everyone here is used to.

Others have noted 1SEG TV, but let's be serious people, that technology is flaky even inside of vehicles with better receivers. It doesn't work on the train, so it's simply silly to think it's a wanted feature with the phone. It's all about text messaging here. Not video, nor TV or even voice. Text.

The iPod Touch was a big hit here and the 3G iPhone will be picked up at the same pace. If it comes out in time, I'm having a friend bring one over before before he arrives in June. I'll unlock it and give it a whirl.

[Jameslee @ Jun 4th 2008 11:58AM]

I have recently made a trip to Japan. The Japanese cellphones are far superior than Iphone. I seriously doubt Iphone can get any success over there.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jun 4th 2008 12:25PM]

You're so right. I was hoping it was available today or tomorrow, instead I'll have to wait until June 9th. I guess I'll start waiting on line today to make sure I'm among the first 10,000 to buy one from the Fifth Ave. Apple store.

[Jesse S @ Jun 4th 2008 3:16AM]

I doubt Japan cares. They've had more advanced phones for years.

[Michael LaFramboise @ Jun 4th 2008 3:55AM]

Sigh... when will people realize that MOAR features does not equal better? With CONSUMER electronics, its all about ease of use, nothing else.

Just for example, Microsoft Word (yes, I know software not hardware) but point is; everyone was whining about this and that feature missing, yet 99% of the "missing" features were there since version 1, but they were hidden away in submenus within menus behind dialogs and within confusing popups. Microsoft solved all that with a complete GUI overhaul and now even a beginner can make great documents using advanced features etc...

So to continue with what I was saying, yes, Japan (along with South Korea and the like) have had MUCH more advanced electronics for years, no-one here is arguing about wether thats true or not. However if you look at some of those electronics, it takes a 500 page manual to just figure out how to use the most basic functions. Now obviously thats not true for all, but its definitely true in alot of cases.

So yes, the iPhone is still lacking lots of features and can improve in plenty of areas, however you can't argue w/ the fact that its one of the very very few devices on the market which brings some of the more advanced features to the general public. For example tell me, how much people used to browse the web or check their email before the iPhone came along? Obviously most of us tech-heads could; but could your mom? grandma? doubt it...


So again I'm saying it; more of something doesn't always equal to it being of higher quality.

[Will @ Jun 4th 2008 3:58AM]

They care. I pulled my iPhone out in the Omontasando softbank store about a moth after they came out (I use it as an iPod when I am here) and was totally mobbed. Now the thay have the touch some of the excitement has died down, but the iPhone will be huge in Japan.

[Michael LaFramboise @ Jun 4th 2008 3:57AM]

****Just to clarify --- browse the web/check email on their mobile, not the computer****

[Richinjapan @ Jun 4th 2008 4:38AM]

I live in Japan and I don’t think it will be huge at all.

@Michael LaFramboise
I understand your point but I think your missing something. The Japanese keitai phone market is not the American or European one, something along the line of 90% of the world mobile net use is in Japan with EVERYONE including old people using it daily so net use on a phone means nothing here. Another thing you are failing to realize is, the highest profile customers here or the ones that the companies make most their money from are middle school to 20’s women/girls. These women/girls almost exclusively use their phones for mail and they do that nearly all day, including when their commuting on the train. Can you type on an Iphone with one hand while holding several bags on a moving train in heels? No.

The Iphone will do better then most smart phones here but it will fail to substantially penetrate the market because people here just don’t want a smart/smart phone! They want a smart phone that’s a regular phone.
And where is the Iphones seg1 tuner? Its doomed to failure.

[yui @ Jun 4th 2008 4:55AM]

I totally agree 1-seg is essential.
But in this case, I wonder softbank and apple would do sth, say, to turn 1-seg signal into data streaming through their HSDPA network...im not sure if it is allowed, as you know there is a genally issue on copyright protection on their digital boardcasting and now even "copy 10" have problem.

However another killer app should be missing....Osaifu keitai.
No felica chips would be inside iPhone, right?

keitai with no 1-seg and no Felica wont sell good in japan, or we could say, the current line-up of keitai is too strong....

[Ken @ Jun 4th 2008 5:53AM]

I live in Japan as well, and I think the iPhone will sell exceptionally well. It's not features, it's not even ease of use. It's the cool factor, and the design. If it's hyped as the cool new thing to have, people will buy it.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jun 4th 2008 11:21AM]

If Steve Jobs can persuade Hikki to carry an iPhone, 70% of Japan's youth will throw away their current handsets to buy one. Since she was born in the U.S. and became a J-Pop star, she'd be the perfect implement to sell the iPhone to the younger Japanese crowd.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jun 4th 2008 12:49PM]

But the Japanese are very trendy. Suddenly being seen using an iPhone will turn otakus into yokozunas. No point in speculating how well the iPhone will or will not sell in Japan. We'll know soon enough whether the Japanese know a good thing when they see it. As soon as the Tamagotchi app for the iPhone is ready, the ladies won't be able to resist it.

[stiltskin @ Jun 5th 2008 4:46PM]

OMG. the new version of word is soo confusing.

[mehdi @ Jun 4th 2008 3:18AM]

http://digg.com/apple/BREAKING_Softbank_to_sell_iPhone_in_Japan


dugg.

[Michael LaFramboise @ Jun 4th 2008 3:58AM]

Go digg a hole and burry yourself in it...

[hiko36 @ Jun 4th 2008 5:36AM]

@ Micheal

I see what you did there...

[iofthestorm @ Jun 4th 2008 3:41AM]

"(NTT and KDDI still has a chance)"
NTT and KDDI can has cheezburger?

[Thomas Ricker @ Jun 4th 2008 3:48AM]

Fixed ;-)

Thomas

[yui @ Jun 4th 2008 4:58AM]

KDDI won't have a chance. its network is CDMA.
For Docomo, well...lets see...
as Apple didn't choose to be MNVO in japan...docomo still have a chance...

[Stuart @ Jun 4th 2008 3:45AM]

It's about time some release info was announced here. At least I won't have to switch carriers.

Now the big question is. . . WHEN???

[Michael LaFramboise @ Jun 4th 2008 4:01AM]

"later this year."

...Chances are they'll roll it out to all of the current countries which have the iPhone within a week or two of the US launch, though it might be even sooner then that - maybe they'll do it all at once...

Japan I would imagine will come within a month or two, doubt they would wait too long in such a huge market...

[Zubon @ Jun 4th 2008 3:59AM]

DoCoMo may still be in the running for the iPhone because they, unlike KDDI, also use WCDMA. Unfortunately, it still seems unlikely - DoCoMo is very unlikely to agree to revenue sharing of any kind and secondly, the requirements to get a phone out on their network are very stringent (just ask Nokia who had to keep delaying the launch of the one single handset they have on the mkt here! Sole exception was the Blackberry, but that is sold only via corporate channels). Softbank on the other hand has been happy to use overseas manufacturers having inherited this DNA from Vodafone. The big question for anyone on Softbank and thinking to switch to the iPhone (as and when) will be their data plan charges - the most expensive in the market (runs to Y10,000 or $100 month for all you can eat for their smart phones - like the new HTC phone). A normal Softbank phone data plan costs max Y5,700 ($57) per month for all you can eat. The hope would be for an iPod only data plan that falls somewhere near the Y5,700 range, but thats still pretty expensive compared to overseas. Incidently, Blackberry isn't exactly popular here - its corporate only for a start and anyone who has seen a school girl here tapping out msgs will tell you, regular keypads with Japanese predictive text are MUCH faster... Doubt the iPhone's touching typing will be much of a pull in that sense. As a DoCoMo user, I am hoping for an early or simulataneous launch and that someone out there works out how to hack it so I can run it on this network! For the record, Softbank's network/reception is awful... Its cheap, but you get what you pay for.

[Charly @ Jun 4th 2008 4:11AM]

Softbank's bad reception is what got me an AU mobile, but they since have improved drastically in the Kyushu area and even set up a transmitter at my university, so now there's better reception for Softbank than for AU. I got a Softbank phone this January and since then most of the people I know here have switched to Softbank, because it's so cheap.
I'm looking forward to see what Softbank is going to do about data plans... if they somehow manage to introduce some kind of cheap tsukaihoudai for data I'll be all sold.

[Sean @ Jun 4th 2008 4:54AM]

agree with Jesse
I have to say in Japan, iPhone is ugly, and it doesn't have FELICA. I don't think many Japanese would buy it, although a few has been using it (i am).

Michael
there's more than functions, features, and advanced electronics.
you have no idea how Japanese design their cell phones, they have phones for kids, their parents can track them via GPS, if they get lost just press the emergency button, and it alarms on their parents phones.
they also have phones for old people, which have LCD with 3 large icons instead of a keyboards, those icons and display letters are as big as your feet.
you know how desperate people try to increas the volumn on iPhone? in Japan people try to lower the volumn as much as possible, all their phones are quiet and have a status called "manner mode", which has the minimum volumn in order not to disturb other people.
Do Apple, Nokia, SE or all other companies consider these stuff?

Will
even if you pulled them out in the US a month after they came out, there still would have people staring at you.
I sometime use iphone too here in Japan, but nobody seems to care now.

Richinjapan
exactly, you can't type asian languages on iphone, English is fine, but no Asian languages. I speak both japanese and chinese(n a bit english), and it drives me nuts every time i try to type a whole email to someone. it's a great phone, but just doesn't work here.

[greenlight @ Jun 4th 2008 5:05AM]

GPS-tracking phones exist in the west as well.
Large-button, large-screen phones exist in the west as well (multiple models).
Every phone I've ever used, back to my 1999 GD30 has had an easy to activate "Silent mode".

I have an imported Japanese phone, and they really aren't anything special. The only unique features they have are strictly due to japanese infrastructure: 1seg, FeliCa and their language forces them to have high-res screens.

Western phones may actually be better. In comparison to my euro Sony Ericsson (developed in sweden), this Toshiba has a horrible music player, horrible bluetooth support (the range is shorter than my pocket to my head), ugly fonts (no antialiasing), weak multitasking, bad formats/standard support, stupid limitations (32 character filenames...), slow (taking/saving a photo takes ages, not to mention actually OPENING it to view), etc etc

I think the iPhone will be a huge hit. I mean, people said the exact same thing about the iPod in Japan...

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jun 4th 2008 11:09AM]

The iPhone already had hiragana input in beta. All that will be required for older iPhones is a firmware update.
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=479920

Although I doubt the 3G iPhone will have a FELICA chip, we don't know that for certain.

What Apple needs to do is blanket the Japan media telling how hip the new 3G iPhone is. Buy off a few of their top baseball players and sumo wrestlers to tell the public that the iPhone is the coolest device to have. Then it should sell like gangbusters. The Japanese public seems to be very impressionable to that sort of thing.

[studebaker @ Jun 4th 2008 5:09AM]

There is currently a love affair with Apple products so the iphone will sell well. However, amongst the best customers (young ladies) I wonder if the touch-pad will be a problem when so many girls have long plastic fingernails?

And yes, typing in Japanese on a regular 1-9 keypad is just as fast for many Japanese as it is with a Qwerty keyboard. The reason for this stems partly from the fact that many Japanese people's first experiences online were through the mobile web and texting is more prevalent (it is impolite to speak on the phone on a train or bus) What i'm having trouble saying is that many Japanese people have more practice typing on a keypad than a keyboard. Strange but true.

[studebaker @ Jun 4th 2008 5:12AM]

Oh, and I forgot to mention that Docomo would be pretty stupid to try to market 2 touch screen phones at the same time now that they have the LG Prada phone available.

[John @ Jun 4th 2008 5:22AM]

I live in Japan too but have used the iPhone in Canada. Allot of those posting here have no understanding of the features, ease of use, and all-round well designed features of the iPhone. I wouldn't knock it until you have seen it and tried it out.

As per the comments about 1-seg TV, many people don't care.

[kaician @ Jun 4th 2008 5:45AM]

I gotta say I clapped when i read this news. It's awesome. I've got a jailbroken touch now, and when ANYONE sees it they're amazed (and I only show them the pre-installed apps) It's gonna be a huge hit. With the pic library and movies, ipod, and itunes integration... People already recognize the touch from the tv commercials, think when softbank starts up with their cute softbank family commercials with the family using iphones. It'll sell tons.

1-seg is good and all, but it is currently a feature that is on almost all phones that the majority of people don't even know how to use. So many of my friends still ask me "Does it cost money to watch tv..."

And about the typing thing. The current Japanese keyboard (there is one on the touch, I use it everyday) is crap. What makes it crap is its size and conversion for kanji. But maybe some people missed the news that there are new keyboards in firmware 2.0 that have both a qwerty with conversion, and a kana version that mimics a keypad. As the new Chinese keyboard has handwriting input, i would hazard a guess that Japanese handwriting will be in there as well.

The iphone will be a hit, and softbank will get crazy new customers for this deal, Congrats softbank.

[iEye @ Jun 4th 2008 7:07AM]

I could not have put it any better John!

[Brian @ Jun 4th 2008 9:47AM]

First of all regarding having the Prada and the iPhone on Docomo, the Prada costs almost $1,000 (through Docomo). If they were to get the iPhone I would hope it would be cheaper than that!

As for desire for the iPhone, I know it would be popular here.
I showed my touch around a few co-workers and they loved it.
(These are people that only carry a phone, not gadgets)

I have been using Docomo phones for 6 years now and I am not impressed.
Equipment/Feature wise they are quite impressive, but interface wise they are HORRIBLE. Border-line unusable.

Docomo thinks they fail in foreign markets because "non -Japanese don't like so many features". WAKE UP!! Features Good. Endless drilldown menus with names like "Lifetool" bad.

In Japan, you can get locked in to a carrier by the "family plans"
If that were not the case, I would probably switch to Softbank, even with their crappy reception.

My 2 cents.

[Stafford @ Jun 4th 2008 5:52AM]

mmmmmm delicious UMTS 3G - USIM unlock for Korea def required methinks.

[akeigher @ Jun 4th 2008 7:32AM]

I'm am shocked that the iPhone is coming to softbank.... I was sure it was coming to DoCoMo... I'm with softbank now, it will be interesting to see what the do about the data features... and I'm sure they will release a seg1 tuner... like the psp has here... it is useless to have it in the states... But this is great news for softbank...!

[Chris @ Jun 4th 2008 9:41AM]

Having lived in different parts of Japan for 10 years and working as an English teacher here (which lets me meet various different people)....

I agree with John " many people don't care about 1-seg TV" - Have you tried to watch it on the train ? its terrible and I always see people giving up...

The 1000 plus people that I meet every week care more about the outside of their phone than the inside - also the young care if it has cool emotion cons...which is a must for a Japanese phone.

Felica is a good feature but once again - most people dont care if their phone has it or not. You can get different types of Suica (with credit card, just a normal pass etc etc)

[Stewart @ Jun 4th 2008 9:40AM]

So let me get this right. An iPhone that works on a CDMA network? Does that mean it would be possible to get it to work on Verizon's network?

[cmetom @ Jun 4th 2008 10:06AM]

@stewart, W-CDMA =/= CDMA. W-CDMA = UTMS = HSDPA.

Based on this Softbank news, I assume the new iPhone will be Quadband GSM and Triband HSDPA like the soon-coming SE 780i - thus supporting 850, 1900 and 2100MHz frequencies thus covering Australia (both Telstra 850MHz and Hutchinson/3 2100MHz), Europe (i have no idea), Japan (Softbank 2100MHz) and the USA/Canada (AT&T, Rogers 850MHz)

[superjeff @ Jun 4th 2008 11:02AM]

Im gonna buy it no matter what! ive been waiting for this for quite a looooooong time! I hope they will release it soon.

And for the will sell or not question, I think its gonna be a big hit since everybody loves their ipod here in japan!

IPOD=symbol status
IPHONE = IPOD + phone
IPHONE = gonna create looooong lines starting at midnight the day before their available at the softbank booths!

hahaha crazy japs :)

[Stuart @ Jun 7th 2008 2:16PM]

@superjeff.

I couldn't agree more. I too will be just like those crazy japs waiting outside at midnight for the new phone. Can't wait. hihihi.

My one question is. I have lived here for quite some time and plan to for a while longer however, should I decide to move back to the states. Will I be able to just pop out the sim and change to a carrier in the states or will I have to buy another phone???

[superjeff @ Jun 4th 2008 9:51PM]

stu,

there's always the "jailbreak" hope so no worries :)

[Stuart @ Jun 4th 2008 10:41PM]

Yeah, I suppose you are right. I have broke my iPod Touch out of jail the first day that I got it. I guess I will be doing the same w/the iPhone. :)

[Zen @ Jun 4th 2008 10:11PM]

Docomo: conservative or careless, just use Docomo because it is the largest carrier.

au: somewhat less conservative than Docomo, but not much difference today -just like buying Nissan instead of Toyota and cannot think of say Honda, Mazda, or Subaru in Japan.
(used to be good counterpart of Docomo and only better choice besides it when Vodafone sold strange phones...)

Softbank: low-rate lover or gadget lover, active user who can understand the scheme of its pricing or careless user who totally ignore that.

and therefore, not much surprise for me.

http://ascii.jp/elem/000/000/138/138416/
may be surprise for these "professionals".

[Laron @ Jun 4th 2008 4:11PM]

As stated by others, I agree that the iphone is a great phone, however in the Japan cellphone market it's pretty unlikely that it will see that same success as in the US or other countries. Japan cellphones are WAY ahead the curve, of any country by years.

A good example of this is "text messaging" (aka "short mail" in Japan), which became popular in the US maybe a couple years back; that technology was being used in Japan like in the 90's. People get pissed if you use short mail in Japan , as (everyone knows in the US) it is quite "costly" per message. Instead people use email, like your own actual cell phone email address which costs like 1/3 of a cent.

Granted Apple products do great in Japan (ipod, mac computers, etc.) however, you can't fuck wit the cellphone market...not in Japan.

[Brock @ Jun 4th 2008 11:25PM]

Living 14 years in Japan, everyone always said that Japanese phones were more sophisticated, but it never translated into reality for me personally. Most of the features are fluff. I waited for years for a smartphone like I had used in North America and Asia, but until the HTC phone with Softbank (which was difficult to use), I could never find one. I wanted function, not cute. I don't know if the market just values different things, or if people in Japan just buy what they are told they want to buy (as in other product categories.)
Perhaps it is because the cell phone is considered to be a toy, rather than a business tool like it is in other countries. I think that either way, the iPhone will do well, assuming the kana input issue is resolved.

[Richinjapan @ Jun 5th 2008 1:41AM]

It’s not going to happen. What will happen is you’ll have an initial group of Apple nerds and foreigners who will rush out and buy it and the rest of the populace will shrug and move on.

Japanese people just value different things then westerners in their phones. If you think about it, Japan has some of the most advances consumer electronics companies in the world but they don’t offer their best smart phones here in Japan, why is that? Because the Japanese don’t want them!! Just look at sales of other “hot” phones that have come over here, razr, shine, some of the best Samsung has to offer, how did they all do? They all flopped. The only people you really see using them are foreigners and a few westernized Japanese people.

As a precursor why don’t we look how many people own Ipod touches? I almost never see them and when I do its 90% of the time a foreigner.

Are Japanese phones complicated? YES but not to Japanese people. When I got my new 922SH I just handed it to my 25yo Japanese wife and she had everything setup for me in 15 minutes without reading the manual.

About the seg1 tuner, it is important. I don’t know how many of you guys commute into Tokyo every morning like I do but I see at least 10+ people a day watching those things.
Don’t forget the #1 selling phone in Japan is the Sharp Aquos TV phone, I see 100+ of those a day. They have DVR function that will record shows for you and then you watch them later, like when you in the subway.

Biggest downsides for the Iphone, Too big, too simple, lacking J-market items, bad camera, touch only input which will suck at Japanese, foreign, most people already own a ipod.

My prediction; it wont get over 1~2% market share.

[tky @ Jul 15th 2008 11:55PM]

the iphone is a success in japan. not sure what people are thinking when they say that japanese cell phones are more advanced. i think the networks maybe more advanced and the fact you can watch tv programs on a majority of models is really neat. you tube would compensate that a lot i believe

but the ipod completely sold out. it is the krispy kreme of cell phones now. people want it, difficult to obtain. stoking the japanese interest in them.

i feel japanese cell phones suck. willcom is the only brand that i would consider against the ipod, but who wants vista on their web/cell phone device? not me.