Japan’s number 3 mobile carrier, Softbank, who is set to offer the iPhone 3G come July 11, has announced their prices and tariffs today. They have set the 8GB model at ¥23,040 or about $215 USD, while the 16GB option will go for ¥34,650, which is around $322 USD.
The carrier has been able to build up business by undercutting its two primary competitors, DoCoMo and KDDI, and is strategically planning to lure high-paying mobile users away from its competitors with lower priced web browsing incentives for the next-gen iPhone.
The monthly charge for unlimited Internet access will be ¥5,985 or about $55 USD, compared with ¥9,800 or about $90 USD on Softbank’s comparable smart phones with full Web-browsing capability.
CEO Masayoshi Son said, “There have been users who were just attracted to our low price, but the main point this time is feature attractiveness rather than price.” Son has also predicted that the phones will be a sell-out in Japan, which analysts and even Son himself have questioned. Son said he expected the first batch of iPhones to “evaporate instantly,” and that supplies “will likely be scarce for a while.” via Washington Post.
“DoCoMo, which was widely expected to get the iPhone deal, is still in negotiations to sell the handset. Some analysts expressed doubts over the iPhone’s chances in the Japanese market, given the widespread availability of much more sophisticated devices on the market.”
