Flat Rate Price Update for Softbank Users in Japan

In case anyone missed it, the iPhone also had a positive impact for Windows Mobile (and Nokia) smart phone users on Softbank in Japan. The flat rate plans put in place especially for the iPhone also apply to users of these devices. The diagram explains things reasonably well, but full details are here.

Japanese Smartphone Market News & Trends

Image by laurence.thurion via Flickr This article [Japanese] by Japanese daily Fuji Sankei gives some good insights into the Japanese smartphone market.

• It was predicted Apple/Softbank would have sold 1 million iPhones here. Although the stats are not released, it is predicted that they have only sold around 200,000 and sales have drastically slowed so they may only sell 350,000 by the end of the year. The latest talk out on the streets seems to be the the iPhone is being dubbed a relative failure here.
  
• AU/KDDI plan to release smartphones by the end of the year, Japan Communications will enter the market this month and HTC will also release more devices.
• Samsung is aiming to release their Omnia Windows Mobile device here.
  
• NTT DoCoMo's strategy is to focus on business users.
• Both KDDI's UQ Communications and Willcom are considering smartphones for their next generation networks (WiMax and Willcom Core) that will be launched next year boasting speeds of 20 megabits/second

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Bluetooth Digital Photo Frame and Smartphone.

If you have the time and money to try a sort of experiment, it might be interesting to use a Bluetooth digital photo frame and your Windows Mobile smartphone to view photos. This concept is applicable to new ways of lifestyle in the digital world we face today.

CF Company is offering this solution right now for 18,480yen.

iPhone Pricing Released - What about Windows Mobile Smartphones?

Prices for the iPhone has been announced. Basically it's going to cost you 7,280/month for 2 years, including the cost of the device, flat rate data but no voice minutes.

The flat rate data plan will be 5,980 yen. I heard a rumor that this plan can also be used on other smart phone which would include of course the X01HT, X02HT, X03HT, X01T and maybe Nokia devices.

Please comment after this post if you know more. I'll post updates as received.

Live from the Press Conference: DoComo Announce the HT1100 and F1100

Two new devices from DoCoMo to hit the market Q1 2008. The HT1100 is a smaller, 3G, 2nd generation version of the HTC Touch. The Fujitsu F1100 is a device new to the market globally.

Also being covered by Akihabara News and Windows CE Fan (Japanese).

"The Smartphone Market", Press Conference by HTC (Fri. 30 August '07)

HTC's CEO will talk on the global and Japanese smartphone market at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan. It will be interesting to see what the response of the press and the market will be to the direct sale of handsets here. Currently,unlike in many other countries, almost all phones are sold by carriers and can only be used on that carrier's network.

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Peter Chou, HTC Corp. CEO, "The Smartphone Market"
Time: 2007 Aug 31 14:00 - 15:00

"The Smartphone Market"

The Japanese cell phone market has always been a difficult nut for foreign companies to crack. Japan's carriers exercise tight control over the handsets that are sold and set demanding quality standards that have left some foreign companies stumbling.

Taiwan's High Tech Computer Corp. (HTC) is one of the few success stories. Its smart phones, which bundle voice with e-mail, Web browsing and other applications on the Windows Mobile platform, first went on sale here in 2006 and are now available through NTT DoCoMo and Softbank Mobile. Later this year, HTC will take another step in Japan with the launch of direct sales of handsets that will work with any cellular carrier.

Peter Chou, CEO of the Taiwanese company, will visit the club on Friday to discuss the global smartphone market, how Japan stands in relationship to these global trends and the developments we can expect from HTC in regards to the Japanese market over the coming year. He will be joined by John Wang, chief marketing officer of HTC.

Chou's visit will come at a good time. The smart phone market underwent a huge shake up earlier this year when Apple launched its iPhone in the U.S. and now all eyes are on Apple to see when the iconic phone will be released in Europe and Asia.