Apple sells 1 million iPhones in first 3 days

I've been to several stores in my area looking for this thing and only ONE Softbank store has an actual model on display, that you can pick up and examine the functions.

ONE STORE out of 5 that I went to.

If Apple is hoping to sell ten million of these before the end of the year, then they had best start shipping them to other carriers instead of just Softbank.

If they give this to AU to sell, then I'll be happy to have one, but I'm not changing carriers just to have this phone.

http://www.inyouriphone.com

I guess it depends where you live. You can't expect them to send models of a phone that will run out to very small stores. I saw it everywhere during the weekend.

This phone cause brain tumors.

I've been to four stores since Friday at 5:00; Roppongi (sold out), Omotesando (sold out), Shibuya (sold out) and the shop near my house in west Tokyo hasn't had any shipped to them and in the glorious tradition of businesses these days (and Apple's style) of course denied when and/or if they would get any shipped to them.

To piggy back on RMGTTF's point... They were never going to have the iPhone at all of their shops. They want to create this buzz that everyone is going crazy looking for the phone so they only sell it at their big shops. If they sold it at all of the shops they wouldn't have had 1500 people waiting in line at the Omotesando shop on Friday.

Softbank is already notorious for having very poor service and if they don't at least start informing "potential" customers about how to or when they can purchase the phone people are just going to wait for Docomo to start selling them.

If they give this to AU to sell, then I'll be happy to have one, but I'm not changing carriers just to have this phone.

I was hoping they'd sell through AU too. From what I understand, Docomo was/is contemplating and AU was, flat out, not interested. I wouldn't switch to Softbank just because of the weaker signal. It's good for Softbank but personally, I think, Apple could do better selling through a different company. I'll keep my fingers crossed and hopefully they'll switch someday.

williamsmith: not a worry in japan

It's a novelty. They'll get bored of it soon enough.

Any other problems with this thingy as of late?

Oh yeah and do they use SIM cards?

I just went to the Omotesando store (covered liberally with iPhone propoganda) today and they were either being clueless or deliberately vague about when and where more stock would arrive. I agree with movieguy. They are just trying to create more hype by providing little to no information. I also asked some questions about English apps on the iPhone such as the use of the GPS. Their answer "We don't provide information like that here, you'll have to go to the Apple store"!!! Come on Softbank, not good enough! I doubt they will be keeping their exclusive supplier deal for long if this keeps up. Pity as I'm already one of those poor Softbank customers.

Well, an update:

The same store where I saw the display model yesterday, kindly gave me a magazine with all English explanations about charges, billing etc, as well as what they require to buy one (registration card, inkan, resident status etc). They were more than helpful and the assistant that helped me gave me her phone number too - so phone or not, my weekend is sorted!!

Anyway, it gets even better!

While one store told me that I would have to pay ￥34,560 just for the phone, PLUS the monthly charges at ￥6,300 per month PLUS any additional charges, taxes, etc, etc, etc.... ...the other store (where my date for Saturday night works) is offering the iPhone3G for 0円!! The plan includes all charges and the 円80,000 (86k with tax) at a rate of just 円3,590 per month! So, while I initially said I was going to wait, I might have to reconsider, because this deal is just too sweet to pass up on. Besides, an unlocked iPhone3G sells for well over $1400 in some cases on eBay!

And the internet is now awash with thousands of new videos showing the capability of the new model iPhone! Could this be the phone to end all phones? I doubt it, but it's certainly putting a very large dent in the offerings of other phones!

http://www.inyouriphone.com

Looking forward to Saturday!

I wonder how long the iPhone fad will last -- novelties tend to die out quickly, but Apple is a clever bunch so I'm sure it will manage to stick around for a while...

Is the service provider still Verizon in Japan? That is one of the things that prevented me from getting one a while back, well, that and the sheer price/monthly charge of it.

amannin1... Verizon has never been in Japan and though I'm a PC user I would never consider Apple to have developed "fads or novelties." The iPod is still kicking everyone's butt and they've taken the iPod concept to the phone and they've revolutionized another industry.

The iPhone supplier is Softbank.

I went there again today to clear up a few misunderstandings about their charges. In the International Information booklet, written in several languages, the only part of it that is confusing, is not the Korean, Chinese or French pages, but the pages that give information about charges.

On the one page it says that a maximum ￥4,140 will be charged for UNLIMITED emails and web use. What it DOESN'T say is that that charge is ONLY for some of Softbank's other phones. The iPhone is NOT included.

The iPhone has unlimited web service for around ￥5300 per month!

All in all, a total charge for their Double White Plan, (making calls cheaper), unlimited web and email use, and monthly payments for the phone itself, amounts to around ￥9700 ($95) per month.

Not too shabby if you can stick to using it just for the web and emails, and don't make too many calls. My concern lies in that, so far, every single phone service provider I've been through here in Japan, gives you the monthly quote for a service, but when the bill comes, it is more than double what you think you're going to have to pay. I went home to the UK in January and my bill for that month was STILL over ￥14000 for that month!

I would really like to hear from ANYONE who has the new iPhone3G here in Japan, and just what plan you signed up for, how the service is so far, etc.

Alternatively, this site is a great source for more info about the new iPhone3G:

http://www.inyouriphone.com

the reason i consider the iPhone a fad/novelty is it relies entirely on hype--don't get me wrong, the iPhone has some cool features, but at the price you have to pay, i don't think it is worth it. i figure that once everyone gets bored with it, they will drop back down to something that is more affordable. (just my opinion though).

Youdontknow -> so do you plan to keep your Softbank/iPhone service?

ozprimophony

I live in the US so the below is based on my use in the US. I hope it is helpful to you.

The GPS feature works with your address book in getting you from point A to point B, or it can work alone much the same way a GPS device works except there is no voice application, yet.

DISPLAY: You can choose either map, satellite, hybrid or list for your display.

GETTING FROM POINT A TO POINT B: Say you are in front of Shinagawa station and want to go to some restaurant in Shibuya. If you have that restaurant in your address book all you have to do is choose:

START: "current location" END: (Here your a blue icon appears, you can then choose from BOOKMARKS (Your favorite places that you have saved as favorites) RECENTS (recent choices you have made) or CONTACTS (Your contacts in your address book).

If you choose CONTACTS, your contact book will appear with the alphabet listed on the right side. You tap the first letter of the restaurant and that section will appear, you scroll up or down till you find the restaurant tap that and it will calculate and tell you how far you are, how many minutes it will take in traffic at that time, and then give you a step by step guide to your destination.

And then it will save that trip you just made from Shinagawa to Shibuya in RECENTS in case you need to make it again.

It is really sweet and is more up-to-date than many GPS units that allow you to download updates free on your PC like TOMTOM for instance.

Here in the US it gives you the up-to-date traffic situation color coded with red being heavy traffic, yellow not-so-heavy, and green wide open. It will also give a very accurate time it will take for your journey. (This is all predicated upon one driving an auto.)

I wonder what it will be like in Japan with the trains etc ....

Anyway, the hype will soon die down and they will be giving them away.

Unlimited usage here in the States with AT&T is about $105-$125 per person a month. For that you get: Unlimited Internet, unlimited text SMS messaging, free AT&T account person-to-person calling, free international calling in and out, and discounted international in and out, (I forget what I pay for international but it's not too bad) 2500 minutes per month domestic, which rollover and all those taxes, fees etc.

$125 per month is pretty close to what youdontknow said he/she was paying in the UK.

I found a pretty good guy at my local AT&T store and go in to see him any time I have a complaint or question about the bill, he takes care of me right away and issues refunds to my credit card on the spot.

If anyone has theirs now please let me know how much it is per month in Japan.

I have never dealt with Softbank, so good luck.