Not even one month after releasing the 3G iPhone, sales in Japan do not seem to satisfy Softbank, japanese mobile operator who sells it. Softbank decided to reduce the monthly subscription rate from $67 to $27.
I was in Japan in July when the iPhone was launched and have not seen hundreds of people waiting in front of Softbank shops as it was reported on some Web sites. Japanese daily newspapers reported that mobile users complain for iPhone’s lack of secondary camera, infrared connection, electronic payment chip, digital TV broadcasts, and other functions that most of other Japanese mobile sets have since long time. On the more serious side, iPhone battery charge span does not satisfy typical Japanese mobile use, and it is rather difficult to operate phone with both handson the commuter train.
Probably will sound funny to non-Japanese phone users, but lack of a hole in the iPhone for hanging trinkets is a serious disadvantage in Japan!
It seems that despite iPhones advanced mobile Internet feature, Apple needs to release a jPhone that would overcome above listed disadvantages in order to seriously tap into Japanese mobile phone market of 100 million users.
