Torrential interest or not, Japan’s Softbank is set to welcome Apple’s iPhone 3G to its island-soil. As the exclusive iPhone carrier in Japan, Softbank will be doing its best to get an iPhone 3G into the hands of every single one of the 9%, or more, of the Japanese population that indicated interest in the next-generation iPhone.
Softbank’s announcement for the iPhone 3G’s pricing structure falls in line quite nicely with what we’ve come to expect. That is to say, the 8GB iPhone 3G will be sold for 23,040 yen ($215), while the 16GB variant of the iPhone 3G will cost 34,560 yen ($320). Both prices mirror the iPhone 3G’s $199-$299 price in the US and is apparently staying true to Steve Jobs’s promise of a maximum price of about $199 for the iPhone 3G 8GB.
Reuters expects most iPhone 3G hopefuls to fork over 7,280 yen ($68) per month for their iPhone rate plan. Masayoshi Son, Softbank CEO, says that the iPhone is set to bring in 70% more revenue than they have seen in the past.
But, with iPhone 3G stock in Japan seemingly not able to meet projected demand, many Japanese iPhone hopefuls will likely have to wait for a secondary iPhone 3G shipment before they can get their hands on the iconic device. “We expect the first lot to evaporate instantly. We in the company will probably fight to get one as well,” Son said. “Supplies will likely be scarce for a while.”
As for the rest of us, see you in line!
[Via: Reuters]