03-14-2009, 11:45 PM

I am sure that cellphone experiences in Japan vary but as an ex-pat who has been here nearly a decade I can attest to the fact that in almost ALL respects the mobile phone tech and the "savvy" of average users is far ahead of most other countries in the world...

To clarify a few things already mentioned...

- ALL portable phones in Japan that have TV capabilities ( perhaps only 50 % of existing market but closer to 95% of new model releases ) have what is called "Digital Terrestrial Broadcast" or " 1 seg " receivers which means that the signals are "HD" capable and are "digital" signals as opposed to "analog" UHF - VHF signals that most people in North America can get via antenna... FWIW, ALL standard TV broadcasting will be in this "DTB" format by 2011 countrywide in Japan meaning no more analog antenna broadcasting and everything full digital...

- The current iPhone 3G 8gb model does NET out at NO COST to the user as the monthly purchase cost is cancelled out by purchase rebate... the 16 gb phone nets out at a cost or roughly $ 5 usd / month...

- Current plans for the iPhone in Japan require that you sign up for a internet usage / packet plan that starts at a low price and goes up to about $ 50 usd / month maximum for "unlimited" use...

To put the current plans in perspective for about $ 70 usd per month you get - - -

- a 16gb iPhone 3G on a 24 month plan

- basic (ish) phone plan ( white plan & family pack ) which allows unlimited calls between family members and unlimited calls between phones on the same Softbank network during daytime hours

- unlimited internet use - for sake of simplification I am counting on maxing out the packet communications

- voice mail & some limits on SMS and email when done "off-network"

As posted above by others the "sophistication" of mobile phones here in Japan have been far ahead of the curve for a number of years.

Add to this the fact that at "initial" introduction of the iPhone 3G to Japan the cost was almost DOUBLE the current packages and with similar ( and in some cases lesser ) features to phones that have been ion the market for a couple years - the general Japan market did a collective YAWN...

The iPhone may get ooohs and ahhhs in the rest of the world but to this market it was just "another phone"... Factor in it being bigger with no TV and a smaller MP camera at a cost which is almost double and the writing was on the wall...

Since the changes to the plan / cost structure introduced at the beginning of March it appears that the iPhone are starting to move quite well - - heck I even broke down and finally got one...

Now at least people will look past the price and "lack" of features they are already accustomed to and will start to notice the other features that DO make sense to them - me - such as syncing with my MBP, Apps, Nav, etc., etc.,

Cheers,

03-15-2009, 01:09 AM

Thanks for the update and putting it all in perspective!

03-15-2009, 02:25 AM

A couple of other points that I omitted that are pertinent to the conversation...

- Many people here do not have personal computers or laptops at home - too busy working & they have learned to browse and email either at work or by using cell phones - which BTW are called Keitai Denwa (pr. kay-tie)...

- when Japanese consumers walk out of a store with a purchase they DO NOT want to have to go home and "ACTIVATE" it themselves ESPECIALLY if they have no PC at home or if they have to load Proprietary software like iTunes to accomplish it...

- The concept or fear that they might screw-up the activation and or "brick" the phone and then have to return to the store to admit their failure is Culturally Adverse - regardless of how unlikely...

The NO PC component of the discussion is vitally important to the over discussion as the iPhone experience is COMPLETELY COMPUTER DEPENDENT - if you have no computer the iPhone loses about 95 % of it's features and 100% of market appeal...

Cheers,

03-15-2009, 06:31 PM

One of our greatest exports to the US was Rupert Murdoch!

03-17-2009, 04:12 AM

I went to Japan last year and the iPhone in Japan was 750 dollars.Why are they so much out here?

03-17-2009, 07:25 PM

i have to ask...y do you really need tv on ur phone. I mean really? wat purpose does that serve?

03-17-2009, 08:36 PM

It's a cultural thing... No time & no life so you catch up on your daily TV drama using your keitai phone or watch the news while scarfing down a riceball during your 30 - 45 minute lunch or catch the last 3 innings of the Baseball game on the 1 hour commute home..,

Some people have neither the patience, time or energy to watch a Tivo'ed TV drama when they finally arrive home from work at 10:30 at night - some half drunk from the mandatory social interchange with co-workers after putting in 2 hours of OT with no compensation...

Don't worry though - on the culture ignorance side of things - the Japanese have no idea why someone would buy a $ 50k boat to park it in their driveway and use it just 4 times a year either...

It's all about perspective...........

03-17-2009, 08:44 PM

Originally Posted by Peers

I went to Japan last year and the iPhone in Japan was 750 dollars.Why are they so much out here?

My iPhone 3G 16 gb - purchased March 1 under the new offers - cost me 11,520 yen ( 480 x 24 months ) with a 2 year contract - - - this exchanges to about $ 110 usd....... A 8 GB would have been FREE...

Last year was - well............ Last year...

Part of the reason initial sales of the iPhone were low was for this very reason - full featured phones here cost almost nothing...

Cheers

03-20-2009, 08:58 PM

neither is xbox

03-22-2009, 05:56 AM

thanks for the info

04-05-2009, 05:23 AM

here in japan and i and alot of my friends got iphones from softbank, and they dont just give them away, you have to sign up with a 2 year contract and pay an extra 17 dollars a month, they reimburse you 13 of the 17 dollars back and its also the plan comes with basically unlimited features of the phone, it has superfast internet, youtube is great, communication is great, Fox news is just jealous that the iPhone is such a great successful apple product, i use my iPhone over here all the time, and i know some japanese ppl are interested in these type of phones cuz i see them with fancy phones all the time

(edit) oh and you can get an mms program to send pix via text, besides you still have email and stuff

04-09-2009, 08:47 PM

I think this is just hype "news" playing up the fact that iPhone tech isn't really special in Asia since they've been playing with flash lite technology w/their mobile for years now. Just because it's nto as popular as it is in the US doesn't mean they "hate" iphones in Japan!

04-10-2009, 03:17 AM

No one said they "hate" the iPhone, all the article was saying was the sales are not that great.
All you fankids stop trying to defend Apple and take it as it is.

04-10-2009, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by jstew132

i have to ask...y do you really need tv on ur phone. I mean really? wat purpose does that serve?

To be truthful I think it's fairly obvious. It serves the purpose of watching the news/sports/your favorite program when you're out and about. I would love to have a tuner on my phone. Very convenient. Especially for those in densely-populated areas (big cities) when you're out a lot or have long commutes to work.

I was watching live coverage of the Masters today from Amen Corner on my iPod Touch when I had about 20 minutes of downtime. It was great. Got to catch Tiger play about 2-and-a-half. I wish more sports would provide such apps for their events.

Is it a luxury? Yes, but so is virtually everything associated with cell phones.

12-17-2009, 08:34 PM

8 months later and my how things have changed...

iPhone controls 46% of Japanese smartphone market | Electronista