Softbank

SoftBank, the official carrier of the iPhone in Japan, is offering new users a free 8GB iPhone 3G or a 16GB for ¥11,520 (~$120) when they agree to sign up for a two year contract for basic, premium, or student plans as part of their "iPhone for Everybody Campaign". There is a catch, however. Instead of paying up front, users have to pay an additional ¥480 (~$5USD) on each monthly payment as part of the plan.

Japanese website Nikkei Trendy claims to have confirmation from SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son himself that emoji, or the wide range of very popular and commonly used Japanese emoticons, will be available for the iPhone in Japan in the future. He also commented on an accessory they're currently working on that will both serve as a mobile TV receiver and extended battery pack for the iPhone.

While for a time it was believed that it would overcome it's shortcomings in the Japansese market, one analyst is now says that sales may fall very short of the predicted 1 million mark. Despite having enough to go around, its lack of features and high price could cause it to sell just half a million units.

Before the iPhone 3G was launched in Japan, some analysts were saying the iPhone would have a difficult time gaining ground in Japan due to it's lack of 3G and the cultural elements like scanning QC codes or a way to enter Japanese characters, or Sony's RFID-based "FeliCA" swipe chip for using Japanese vending machines. While this all may have been true for the iPhone, the iPhone 3G is enjoying great success.

It looks like the 5th Avenue Apple Store isn't the only one seeing some pre-iPhone 3G launch excitement. Japan carrier Softbank is seeing crowds of people line up at their flagship store on Omotesandou street, Tokyo. At the front of the line is Hiroyuki Sano, who will be the first person in all of Asia to be getting an iPhone 3G (assuming Hong Kong stores open later that day).

According to these squiggly lines, Masayosi Son, CEO and founder of Softbank, stated at the company's 24th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held in Tokyo recently that he believed that Softbank would sell out of iPhone 3G units within hours of it's launch in Japan, despite it's US$214 and $316 price.

Japanese carrier Softbank has announced the pricing details for iPhones in Japan. They will be selling the iPhone on July 11 at the subsidized price of ¥23,040 ($215) for the 8GB and ¥34,560. They have also confirmed that customers will be able to pay for the device over a period of two years, and will come with a "come with a 5,985 Yen monthly data plan". Tokyo-based analyst Hiroshi Tamashina predicts that Softbank will sell around 1 million of the device within it's first year in Japan.
[via Bloomberg]