Video: Tokyo waits for the iPhone
The iPhone will be released in Japan tomorrow, and in some areas of Tokyo lines have already formed outside of Softbank Mobile stores. Here’s a video of the line in Harajuku today:
And a quote from AFP’s coverage of the iPhone anticipation:
“I am a huge Apple an and I’m excited to buy the iPhone, which I find is far better than any other cellphone,” said 25-year-old graduate student Hiroyuki Sano who was first in line.
Wearing an Apple T-shirt, Sano arrived early Tuesday morning from the central city of Nagoya and sat for a day-and-a-half in his foldable chair, eating food from a nearby convenience store.
The 199-dollar iPhone 3G, which Apple is billing as twice as fast and half as expensive as the debut model, will roll out in cities from Tokyo to Sydney on Friday.
Softbank Mobile, Japan’s number three mobile cellphone operator, said it would initially limit its sale to one per customer.
The operator is presently the only one to offer iPhone in Japan, although its contract is not exclusive as other companies are working to clinch deals with Apple.
“The iPhone 3G is very useful for people like myself who carry at all times a personal computer, an iPod, a cellphone and a games console,” said Tomohiko Sataki, who was second in line.
“The iPhone will have all these in one, and it’s much lighter than other cellphones. Although Japanese cellphones have advanced interfaces, they have become much heavier and bulkier,” he added.
Update: Be sure to check out What Japan Thinks’ article translating a survey about Why the iPhone is not wanted in Japan!
Update 2: NTV’s report on the sale of iPhones this morning in Omotesando was conducted via iPhone. Here’s the terribly choppy video with poor sound quality:
[hat tip to Kristopher]
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Japan Facing a Farmville Invasion
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Summer 2010 Beef Bowl Price War
http://mb.softbank.jp/mb/iphone/
8gb: ~23,000円
16gb: ~35,000円
Monthly plan seems to be: 7,280円
More info can be found here: http://www.softbankmobile.co.jp/ja/news/press/2008/20080623_02/index.html
My Japanese isn’t good enough for the specifics, so if anyone cares to enlighten us?
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Here’s the English version:
http://www.softbankmobile.co.jp/en/news/press/2008/20080623_01/
And that Sataki guy:
“Although Japanese cellphones have advanced interfaces, they have become much heavier and bulkier”
The iPhone’s heavier than just about every one of the new DoCoMos, for instance, even though they all have One Seg and FeliCa.
Anyone know how many they are supposed to be shipping to Japan?
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Ken, I’ve been trying to dig that up myself, to no avail. Will let you know as soon as I do.
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Thanks!
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Hmmm, contrast this with the latest poll over at What Japan Thinks….
http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/07/10/why-the-iphone-is-not-wanted-in-japan/
I just think the high prices, lack of familiar Japanese keitai features and the Softbank exclusivity are going to really hurt the iPhone.
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Typing e-mail into an ATM screen doesn’t sound like a whole lot of fun to me, but this phone is an accessory like everything else.
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Ta for the link James!
That “Will it be a success?” is hard to answer without knowing what the definition of success is! With about 15% considering one, knowing the prices, versus just 7% thinking about all the other SoftBank, au and DoCoMo models, I’d call that a success.
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iphone is good!!!!
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traditional lines are for suckers.
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Image-obsessed cash-laden zombies to soon part with cash to pay for less-capable, more-expensive cell phone.
Steve Jobs is a marketing genius. Of course, all the free press helps.
My favorite phonhe function is pretty simple. It was free.
Maybe if more dolts pay high prices for iPhones and iPhone service, MY cell phone bill can stay low.
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It’s going to blow up, everybody wants one.
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I just want to know does someone try to buy iphone, coz even if i asked for the super bonus plan they just told me it was not possible for Gaijin . Gaijin have to pay 85 000 yens if they want to have Iphone .
Here my story
So as you know today was the release of Iphone, in Japan, i am know staying in Japan with a ryuugaku visa, till 2009/09 so i wanted to have an Iphone .
I decided to go a softbank shop in Osaka Namba, i had to wait more than 3 hours to have a ticket who give me the right to buy an Iphone . But when the seller saw that i was just a tall white men he told me to wait of a moments, then he came he asked me to see my Alien Card, even if I did not wanted to show him i Just showed him . Then he went back to his shop again, and told me that i need a 2 years visa from now if I wanted to buy an Iphone, like normal people but as my visa is only till 2009/09 I had to buy the Iphone for 84000 ens, yes japanse can have it form a cheap price, but for white people its only 84 000 ens .I tried to check on softbank site and there is no trace at all that a Gaijin must pay his phone if his visa is not 2 years visa or more .
i think the owner of this shop just don’t want to sell his iphone to a white man, or if what he told me is true, it means that getting a mobile phone in japan will be nearly impossible for foreigner people in Japan even if we hold a visa . Its just unbelievable .
Here the name of the shop
ソフトバンク日本橋インフォプラア
TEL 066648 7811
Faｘ06 66487812
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it’s actually a Softbank rule:
http://w00kie.com/2008/07/11/special-rules-for-gaijin-buying-an-iphone/
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I think it’ll be quite successful because of the cult popularity and resulting “you can’t have it because it’s not 3G” legacy of the original iPhone.
But I also think that success will be relatively short-lived since Softbank will have to play catch-up with Japan-centric apps that are already available on other phones. There are also hardware limits, like no RFID for Suica/Pasmo and no 1seg for TV.
I think Apple will see more success with a 2nd-gen iPod touch.
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