“Over 1,000 people, many queuing through the night, besieged a store in downtown Tokyo on Friday as the iPhone went on sale in Japan for the first time,” AFP reports.
“The iPhone 3G went on sale at 7:00 a.m. at the flagship store of Softbank Mobile in downtown Tokyo,” AFP reports. “‘I’ve been saying this year marks the first year when cellphones will become Internet machines,’ Masayoshi Son, who heads the Softbank group, told the eagerly waiting crowd just before the launch.”
“‘Today is a historic day,’ Son said, arguing it would become more convenient to access the Internet with an iPhone than with a personal computer,” AFP reports. “The first-generation iPhone was never sold in Japan.”
AFP reports, “As the countdown hit zero, white smoke shot up in front of the store and curtains were pulled to reveal huge iPhone 3G images on the store walls. Japan’s Apple fans traded sleep and comfort for the thrill of being the first to buy the iPhone, with many camping out days before the launch.”
Full article here.
brings a tear to my eye.
Obvious lies.
*snort* It doesn’t even have a plastic keyboard!
– S. B.
Wow, that’s a big deal! For the CEO of one of the fastest growing cell companies in Japan to call the iPhone sale a “historic event” amongst all the “technologically superior” phones available in the country is significant. He’s one of the few CEOs that understands it is not just a phone.
That’s funny, the iPhone uses Microsoft software for email. And you weenies hate Microsoft. That’s funny. Ha Ha Ha!
“With support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, iPhone delivers push email, calendar, and contacts.”
Just in case you missed it.
Even Softbank was unprepared for this. The Omotesando line was shutdown at 3:20am at about 1km. I measured it at 800m around midnight when I passed through. I doubt those at the end of the line will get phones soon.
Elsewhere, the other Softbank stores had very little to offer. I went to a central Tokyo location as 13th in line just to find that the Softbank shop only had 3-4 units in stock that day.
The shop was totally unprepared and likely didn’t expect a line. We had inroads with the building security as they didn’t expect us either.
Went to BicCamera in Yurakucho afterwards; a large line of 200+ people. They were starting the line for tomorrow, as they would not be able to fill orders today for everyone. They only had 8GB models left. Wait in line 24 hours for a lousy 8GB? Apple, why did you even bother making 8GB. No one wants one.
I suspect it will be weeks/months before the initial demand is satisfied.
To all of those who said “it doesn’t have 1seg or denshi money” — meh. There have never been lines like these for cell phones ever.
Cool! That’s infectious enthusiasm in a tough electronics market. I bet lots of people and analysts are gonna be surprised.
“notethedetails
That’s funny, the iPhone uses Microsoft software for email. And you weenies hate Microsoft. That’s funny. Ha Ha Ha!
Jul 11, 08 – 01:26 amComment from: notethedetails
“With support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, iPhone delivers push email, calendar, and contacts.””
just incase *you* missed it, “support for”, is not “software by”.
my wireless network supports any standard wireless connection. you can connect with your crappy dell. doesn’t mean it was built *by* dell.
comprehension, more than just a good idea…..
It was amazing. Every news show here in Japan for the past 3 days has been covering the new iPhones release with updates on the hour. They started covering the queue on Friday and it just kept growing and growing.
@Murasaki
are you George Murasaki of keyboard fame? (if so i jammed with you in Okinawa in 80-81.)
Hey, wasn’t there a survey posted just a couple of weeks ago saying that in Japan only a couple percent of of the population were interested in the iPhone. I guess they must all have showed up on the first day, and sales go down to zero on day 2…
Got mine early this morning in Stockholm after 4 hour wait. They said they would close at 3 a.m. but they closed the line and kept open until everybody had bought one. that happened around 5.20 am. I heard from a person responsible that Sweden got 11,000 units. According to Telia, they sold over 1,000 last night and lines are forming up at stores around the country today. They’ll probably run out today. Now it’s time to go play with my iPhone!!!!
@shen
“just incase *you* missed it, “support for”, is not “software by”.
my wireless network supports any standard wireless connection. you can connect with your crappy dell. doesn’t mean it was built *by* dell.
comprehension, more than just a good idea…..
Thats what I’ve been discovering from most Apple haters. Their like horses with blinders. Unable to comprehend, expound or have any kind of creative thinking. They can’t tell the difference between a Zune and a big piece of turd. They’ll play with both and think its cool that one of them is all squishy. LOL
On the news in Japan, there were some footage of people complaining that they’ve been lining up all night, only to be told at the doors that all units are sold out. Somehow those people knew the shop had about 40 units stored, but the shop staff said they didn’t have any. People kept complaining and so the staff corrected their statement, they only had about 10 units. People actually went inside the shop and found a couple of cases – indeed more than 10 units. Again, the staff corrected their statement, those were for people who reserved their unit. People kept complaining and at the end they got their iPhone.
SoftBank answered to TV reporter that the shop didn’t have any reservations… which means SoftBank probably ran out of units elsewhere, so they needed to shift around their stocks. But it wasn’t in their expectation that there would be people lining up at their shop.
Good management SoftBank…
Looks like foreigners face some discrimination. Saw this on a discussion board here.
This from http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=5106
Live in Japan and want an iPhone? If you’re a foreigner, you’ll probably have to pay a huge sum of money. Blogger w00kie has translated <http://w00kie.com/2008/07/11/special-rules-for-gaijin-buying-an-iphone> the terms on Softbank’s website <http://mb.softbank.jp/mb/iphone/purchase/check_list_ja.html>:
1. Bring your *Gaikokujin Torokusho (Alien Card) + Passport*. It
seems they now require the passport too.
2. Check your *visa expiration date*, the following rules apply:
1. If you’re on a 90 days tourist visa, no soup (or iPhone) for you!
2. If you have less than 15 months left on your visa, you wont be
able to make a contract, but they’ll sell the phone to you
without a plan for ￥80.000
3. Between 15 and 27 months left on your visa, you can either pay
it cash for ￥80.000 or negotiate take a 12 months contract
(instead of the normal 24) possibly at the discounted ￥20.000
price-tag, but whether the discount applies or not is not
clear in the document
4. Over 27 months and you’re clear, you can buy the phone like
any native
Japan’s other major mobile phone service companies do not have similar rules for foreigners that sign up for higher end phone plans.
“Jubei
Thats what I’ve been discovering from most Apple haters. Their like horses with blinders. Unable to comprehend, expound or have any kind of creative thinking.”
i am not asking for creative thinking, just a little basic logic and common sense. if you can read words, and know what the words mean, you should be able to live up to my expectations. heck you don’t even have to know *all* the words, you can ask. but the typical MSTroll who comes here can’t seem to rise to that lofty level……
sad, isn’t it?
The sad thing is notethedetails still thinks he/she/it showed those Apple fanbois a thing or two.
Loser.
“Looks like foreigners face some discrimination. “
What a stupid remark
@eddiet
well au and docomo doesn’t get as many foreign cutomers as SoftBank do in a regular bases. No point in complaining.
“What a stupid remark”
Good point, Cars. Check and mate.
“well au and docomo doesn’t get as many foreign cutomers as SoftBank do in a regular bases. No point in complaining.”
Yes. What was I thinking?!
Why are some of MDN’s pages being hijacked by “Vista Anti-virus”?
So, anyone in Tokyo been able to find an iPhone in the stores after Saturday? I couldn’t. Call 15 stores…nothing!
Some time before, I really needed to buy a good car for my business but I did not earn enough cash and could not buy something. Thank goodness my mate adviced to take the loans at banks. Thence, I did that and was satisfied with my collateral loan.
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