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iPhone 3GS is Japans Best-selling iPhone

Cory Bohon — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:09:44 -0500

The iPhone 3GS is a great phone that appeals to a lot of people, and it looks like it is fitting right in with Japanese mobile culture. According to Electronista, recent market data from GfK Marketing shows that the iPhone is currently in the lead in Japan in terms of best-selling mobile phones.

The iPhone launched in Japan a little over a year ago and as Electronista states, the phones sold there were mainly domestic models before the iPhone. It's no doubt that rival carriers are feeling the brunt of sales with the 3GS sitting at #1.

Here's a breakdown of the best-selling mobile phones in Japan:

1 - iPhone 3GS 32 GB

2 - Sharp SH-06A

3 - Panasonic 830P

4- Sharp SH-05A

5- NEC N-08A

6- Sony Ericson Premier3

7- Sharp SH-02A

8- Casio W63CA

9- iPhone 3GS 16 GB

10 - Sharp SH001

via Electronista

iRoboChan Will Mess You Up!

Danny Estrada — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:36:55 -0500

Oh yeah, that is right, more robo-goodies from your friends to the Far East... unless you are on the West Coast... then they would be your friends to the Far West. Either way, we have a top secret video that was retrieved by one of our level 5 Mac|Life reconnaissance agents. In this top secret footage we see RoboChan, a quite harmless looking humanoid robot.

The body itself is fairly basic, constructed from the parts of the Kondo KHR-2HV series, which as been used by humanoid models for years (See examples:Naomi Armitage, Motoko Kusanagi, Data, Marcus Wright etc.), but what has our experts on edge is the use of new hardware powering the electro-cerebral-fusion-cortex, the iPhone 3GS.

As you can see in the video they have RoboChan preforming some basic tasks. Of course our top scientists have deduced the true nature of these so-called "tricks." Here is a breakdown of the "tricks" and what their real purpose is:

1. Alarm clock = S.M.U.R.F.D (Self-Mobile Unit Rejuvenate For Destruction).

2. Dance = Fully trained in every martial art.

3. Interaction = Fully automated human interactions (no awkward robot moments...Data we are looking in your direction).

4. Teach & Playback = Able to fully copy and imitate any target, good for covert missions.

5. Holding Spring Onion = Able to cook seven course meals, also fully trained as a fencer, all while using a spring onion.

We know that in the video the tech may look a bit primitive, but were are fully aware of the hidden capabilities of these units. We are keeping an eye out for the God Father, Tamakin; the Planner, Ogutti; and the Electrical Hacker, Gantaku. If these agents are spotted, you are instructed to make an official Mac|Life StrikeForce arrest, and bring the operatives into our base. Once here, they can begin constructing an army of Mac|Life humanoids to replace our interns.

Via PinkTentacle

Free iPhones Offered To Japanese SoftBank Mobile Customers

Lisa Weddle — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:13:45 -0600

Japan's SoftBank Mobile announced on its website that it will be offering a free 8GB Apple iPhone to customers willing to sign a two-year contract tied to one of three promotional plans including basic, premium, or student. For those customers who would prefer the 16GB iPhone, a total price of ¥11,520 ($119.11 US) would be paid in installments of ¥480 ($4.96) per month across the two-year committment.

SoftBank is sweetening the deal by lowering the costs of their data plans, cutting the average plan from ¥5985 per month to a maximum of ¥4410, which is equivalent to a decrease from $61.88 to $45.59 per month.

Why the good deals? Possibly to clear inventory before the release of the anticipated iPhone 4G. If this is the case, they would not be the only company concerned with an overflow of stock, as Best Buy has also announced discounts on iPhone purchases this week. The "iPhone for Everybody" promotion also ends the final day in May, just days before Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference which is seen as a launch pad for new versions of the device.

Analysts are predicting that this quarter will see the fewest iPhone 3G sales since its introduction last summer. This might have retailers worried about meeting sales quotas tied to the contracts that they signed with Apple. While those quotas were more easily met just a few months ago, the global economic downturn and the expectation for a new model have made consumers more hesitant.

Via AppleInsider

Japanese iPhone Owners Getting TV Tuner

Danny Estrada — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:58:10 -0500

Japan is seriously becoming the raddest Mac destination on the earth, even cooler than 1 Infinite Loop... that's Apple's AirPort Extreme Base Station in case you didn't know.

Now why do we think Japan is cooler than the Apple Mothership?

1. Giant Robots
2. Totoro
and now
3. TV Tuner add-on for your iPhone!

Local Japanese carrier, Softbank announced plans to begin selling a TV Tuner add-on later this year that will also serve as an extended battery pack.

The TV tuner will retail for 9,747JPYen ($100.00) and should be for sale in December. The portable device will deliver the One-Seg TV signal to iPhones via Wi-Fi, or by being connected directly to the iPhones dock connector. Control of the device will be achieved using a free app downloadable from the iTunes App Store. The Wi-Fi allows users to hide the tuners receiver in a pocket or bag. When connected directly to the iPhone dock, it doubles as a secondary battery.

Softbank, Apple's exclusive iPhone carrier in Japan, will market the TV Tuner through its retail stores. While the iPhone has been doing better than expected in the Japan, it's still proving difficult for Apple to break into an already advanced mobile phone market.

Japanese iPhone 3G Price Set

Roberto Baldwin — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:16:50 -0500

SoftBank Mobile Corp. has announced they will be selling the iPhone 3G in Japan for $215 8GB and $320 16GB. iPhone customers will recieve a discounted price on mobile internet, $56 instead of the regular, $91 for unlimited internet access on other smartphones.

Customers will have to sign a two-year contract with the carrier in order to qualify for the subsidized prices.

The iPhone is expected to face an uphill battle winning over the hearts of Japanese mobile customers. The country is saturated with mobile devices and many of those devices have features beyond that of the iPhone, including the ability to watch live TV.

The iPhone will go on sale in Japan on July 11.