Btw, OT but Amazon JP rocks the house. I can print out my barcode/order at home in the evening, walk across the street to Seven Eleven, they scan my bar code and I pay cash and receive my Blu-Rays the next day for free. Wicked service. Or I can transfer my funds at the ATM or bank online. Either way I get it next day free.
Wow thats so advanced
We at the US still order online without having to leave home and spend money on gas or transportation. I guess we are so behind here in America
This isn't specific to the iPhone. Battery is quickly drained for all phones that use HSDPA 3G.
That is rubbish. There are many 3G phones that can sit around for days without running out of power. If you read the article he said that the iPhone lasted just a few hours without doing anything! He also knows very well how a 3G phone should behave since he has used (and designed) many of them.
I hate to say this, but Japan is an increasingly unattractive, even uninteresting, market for Apple (as it will arguably become for most non-Japanese electronics manufacturers; look at what the article says about Nokia's share in Japan). Mac's shares are declining too.
It has become a chicken-and-egg issue: The potential size of the Japanese market for non-Japanese electronics manufacturers simply does not justify the $$ that would need to be spent given the extent of customization that would be required.
To familiarize people with Apple and the iPhone, they should start a door-to-door introductory campaign to introduce people in the neighborhoods to Apple and Apple's desire to have them as customers. I understand this was the approach taken by one of the American car manufacturers and they consequently did OK with Japanese customers. You can't just advertise and expect action on the part of people there, that approach has not worked at all.
We at the US still order online without having to leave home and spend money on gas or transportation. I guess we are so behind here in America
Yeah because driving is such an advanced and economical method of transportation. You DO realize that a well thought out infrastructure of trains is more advanced than highways and gas guzzlers right?
Did you not read my posts? I could stay at home and pay with a credit card but I choose to actually get off my ass and not be a slave to credit card companies. But I'm sure you are talented at building credit card debt and staying on the couch so I see your point.
Btw, I'm from North America so I'm fully aware of what we do or don't have in Canada and the US.
You didn't say Japanese input, you said touch screen input. Next time be more specific.
Are you illiterate too? Next time try reading previous post and following a thread. I've been talking about Japanese input for many posts now. Long before you came onboard.
You knew I had to come on this thread and say "I told you so".
BS reports about the amazing success and debut of the iphone. People lining up. Yeah people lining up. That was it. Lining up, NOT purchasing!!
If you want quick Asian input the iPhone is not for you. I have tried it many times and continue to try it (to convince myself to buy it ) and it just doesn't cut it. I'm not even a native Japanese and the input is too slow for me. I type Japanese quite fast. Like many Japanese I use both thumbs to type even faster.
I can buy a smaller / waterproof / 1SEG TV / efficient input / 4MP camera (which records VIDEO) / SD card / rotating & flip LCD / mp3 capable / full email capable mobile phone for $30-$40 USD on a one year contract.
As I mentioned before my girlfriend works at Soft Bank. She ain't the big cheese but she's pretty high up there as Soft Bank has an empowering environment for women. NONE of her co-workers own an iPhone. Most of them have models from 2007. As they say in her office, 'the iPhone also has poor reception compared with other phones and carriers'. Still better than the current North American nightmare of course. It depends on the phone though. For Soft Bank the Sharp phones are quite reliable.
When you are on a moving train or walking which is what we are doing in Japan when we actually have time to communicate, touch input is not your friend. For the most part, you either have to stop walking or wait until the train stops.
Sorry to say but the iPhone in Japan will always be the phone that's popular for 'westerners' or Japanese who 'just have to have the Apple iPhone'.
As they say on YouTube, 'FAIL'.
*disclaimer* in Japan only.
emoji? Are you one of those foreigners/westerners that has been here for years and still types mainly in English? Anywho...As you said people stop you because yes it is a 'novelty' and the games are 'neat'. They certainly aren't running to the stores after they see your toy to buy it.
Wi-Fi is certainly not easy to find in Japan however cafes are slowly starting to carry it.
Emphasis on slowly.
Michael J. Fox.
Quote:
Originally Posted by success
LOL you know what I mean.
True
Maybe they're waiting to buy the Hello Kitty app.
Not true. Amazon JP is hugely successful. Main reason for successful Blu-Ray sales in Japan.
Btw, OT but Amazon JP rocks the house. I can print out my barcode/order at home in the evening, walk across the street to Seven Eleven, they scan my bar code and I pay cash and receive my Blu-Rays the next day for free. Wicked service. Or I can transfer my funds at the ATM or bank online. Either way I get it next day free.
Quote:
Originally Posted by success
I don't use credit cards and Japan is pretty much a cash society. I could use my CC if I wanted to / had them but I don't / don't need. Gotta go out anyway next door to buy groceries so it's all the same.
Quote:
Originally Posted by success
Who NEEDS an iPhone LOL. No one. Didn't say you needed a waterproof phone either. It's simply an included feature of many models. The emails come directly to my phone as soon as someone sends me an email. Why would I need anything else? USA? So then you aren't communicating in Japanese day in and day out.
English input is not Japanese input. Japanese can be typed much faster than English due to the nature of the syllabus. If the device detracts from this ability then it's a waste.
Quote:
Originally Posted by success
Are you illiterate too? Next time read previous post. Duh I've been talking about Japanese input for many posts now. Long before you came onboard.
Until the last post I cannot see "Japanese input". You said:
"When you are on a moving train or walking which is what we are doing in Japan when we actually have time to communicate, touch input is not your friend. For the most part, you either have to stop walking or wait until the train stops."
Show me where is the Japanese input phrase please. Maybe you are having hard time keeping up with what you are posting because you keep editing your posts several times. Here is an advice on how to write a post. Think about what you want say, type it, read it once, read it twice, then click submit instead of constantly editing your post, which makes you look like 5th grader.
Until the last post I cannot see "Japanese input".
Show me where is the Japanese input phrase please. Maybe you are having hard time keeping up with what you are posting because you keep editing your posts several times. Here is an advice on how to write a post. Think about what you want say, type it, read it once, read it twice, then click submit instead of constantly editing your post, which makes you look like 5th grader.
Wow Nasser, you really are blind.
You even quoted me and you still don't see it? LOL
Quote:
Originally Posted by success
...if you want quick Asian input the iPhone is not for you. I have tried it many times and continue to try it (to convince myself to buy it ) and it just doesn't cut it. I'm not even a native Japanese and the input is too slow for me. I type Japanese quite fast. Like many Japanese I use both thumbs to type even faster.
Do you see me talking about Japanese input now?
Maybe you had trouble figuring out the meaning of my sentences. Maybe by "Asian input" + "me being in Japan" you thought it meant Russian?
Or maybe you thought "I type Japanese quite fast" means that I type Portuguese?
I didn't know editing was a sign of a 5th grader. I think it's a sign of someone who takes care to make sure their posts are correct.
Who looks like the 5th grader now?
I will use a famous word invented by a 5th grader. You just got PWNED.
You even quoted me and you still don't see it? LOL
Do you see it now?
did I argue about how efficient is Japanese input on the iPhone?! I quoted a specific part with specific comment on that part. You argued that in trains the touch screen input method is not your friend. You should have said "When you are on a moving train or walking which is what we are doing in Japan when we actually have time to communicate, touch text input in Japanese is not your friend."
Anyone who reads your post will understand that part the same way I did.
That is rubbish. There are many 3G phones that can sit around for days without running out of power. If you read the article he said that the iPhone lasted just a few hours without doing anything! He also knows very well how a 3G phone should behave since he has used (and designed) many of them.
Just because he says so makes it true? It would lend more credibility if he'd done a test with a specific phone instead of casual observation.
There have been a number of reports showing the iPhone besting other popular HSDPA 3G phones in battery life.
I don't use credit cards and Japan is pretty much a cash society. I could use my CC if I wanted to / had them but I don't / don't need. Gotta go out anyway next door to buy groceries so it's all the same.
If Japan is largely a cash society only supports the report that online purchasing is not as popular in Japan.
I thought one of the reasons iTS was soft there was because people there were already routinely buying their music using their phones, a few years ahead of Apple's music store. Why apps are such a leap beyond that, I wouldn't know.
Here is what is says in the Wall Street Journal report:
"One iPhone feature that is unique even to Japanese users is the App Store, Apple's online clearinghouse for software, such as games and reference guides. The App Store is popular among U.S. users, but hasn't taken hold as much in Japan, where consumers tend to be more cautious about making purchases online."
Japanese are unique.... emoji is eww to me but that's only me. I feel Apple should add custom add-ins per market they are in cuz well every market is different and unique. I say if Apple added emoji for Japan they would sell a heck of a lot more iPhones there.
I hate to say this, but Japan is an increasingly unattractive, even uninteresting, market for Apple...
You must not have "hated saying it" so much, since you said it!
Folks, this is bull. Japan is still the #2 economy in the world, second only to the US which currently is falling from grace. Indeed, the USA is an "increasingly unattractive, even uninteresting" market to many non-US manufacturers now!
You can sell nearly anything in Japan if you cater it to the Japanese. I mentioned this in my opening post in the previous article on this topic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RobertSwier
I'm an American who got an iPhone from Softbank on day three after the launch. I often cannot pull the phone out of my pocket without someone making a comment about how I have an iPhone and about how great it is.
I've lived in central Japan 14 years and that's been my experience about many things. Japanese people often make kind comments about things which they themselves are not necessarily interested in having. In this particular case, it could boil down to long term cost of ownership. The Japanese are sometimes more intelligent when it comes to calculating this than Americans. For in the USA, every jumped and celebrated about the so-called "lower" iPhone pricing from Apple, when in fact all Apple did was charge you more money per month in your contract, which ultimately makes them and AT&T richer than ever before!
Once again, I pay under $60 a month for 100mbs fiber internet, folks! It's nuts to pay more than than for an iPhone -- an iPhone that isn't even free when you sign up for that expensive monthly service contract. But if I were in the USA, I couldn't do this comparison, as fiber isn't available everywhere like Japan, and where it is available the cost is more than double of what it costs here in Japan.
But again, if Apple caters the product (especially in the area of improved Japanese text input) and pricing more to the likes of many Japanese, it can sell well here (except perhaps to those Japanese who don't like SoftBank over AU due to SoftBank's lackluster network and dropped calls).
Quote:
Originally Posted by success
I don't use credit cards and Japan is pretty much a cash society.
And more recently, a "swipe" society. Many Japanese phones have a feature whereby you can go to a convenience store and swipe your phone over a device attached to the register to pay for your item. But where's this important feature on the iPhone? Nowhere because the iPhone is currently catered to the Western world, not fully for Japan.
This in no way means the iPhone is doomed here. It just means Apple needs to do something more for the Japanese, which can have a trickle down, net positive impact on iPhone sales in other markets of the world. Important changes for Japan don't necessarily need to be "exclusive to Japan."
I'd say Japan, it's a notoriously wet country. Rainy and humid at its biggest population centers. By annual rainfall, Tokyo is wetter than the wettest US state. It's about as rainy as the 8th rainiest US city, but 1/4th of Japan's population lives there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by success
Give it up Nasser. Now you're just trying to save face. Don't worry. Your ignorance won't be held against you.
It's a bad idea to tell an opponent to stop - it usually has the opposite effect. I don't know why people say stuff like this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JDW
And more recently, a "swipe" society. Many Japanese phones have a feature whereby you can go to a convenience store and swipe your phone over a device attached to the register to pay for your item. But where's this important feature on the iPhone? Nowhere because the iPhone is currently catered to the Western world, not fully for Japan.
Isn't it just an RFID tag? If it is, then all you need is a special sticker with the tag in it.
You must not have "hated saying it" so much, since you said it!
Folks, this is bull. Japan is still the #2 economy in the world, second only to the US which currently is falling from grace.
As though the Japanese economy has been in boom times.
Quote:
I've lived in central Japan 14 years and that's been my experience about many things. Japanese people often make kind comments about things which they themselves are not necessarily interested in having. In this particular case, it could boil down to long term cost of ownership. The Japanese are sometimes more intelligent when it comes to calculating this than Americans. For in the USA, every jumped and celebrated about the so-called "lower" iPhone pricing from Apple, when in fact all Apple did was charge you more money per month in your contract, which ultimately makes them and AT&T richer than ever before!
AT&T charges more for 3G. Apple makes no money directly from that.
AT&T has had to invest billions in building out its 3G infrastructure. So its not as though they are charging more for nothing.
Quote:
Once again, I pay under $60 a month for 100mbs fiber internet, folks! It's nuts to pay more than than for an iPhone -- an iPhone that isn't even free when you sign up for that expensive monthly service contract. But if I were in the USA, I couldn't do this comparison, as fiber isn't available everywhere like Japan, and where it is available the cost is more than double of what it costs here in Japan.
You cannot carry that 100mbs fiber internet in your pocket and access it where ever you go. Fiber and wireless are not comparable like that.
Quote:
But again, if Apple caters the product (especially in the area of improved Japanese text input) and pricing more to the likes of many Japanese, it can sell well here.
Apple has attempted to cater to Japanese text input.
Quote:
And more recently, a "swipe" society. Many Japanese phones have a feature whereby you can go to a convenience store and swipe your phone over a device attached to the register to pay for your item. But where's this important feature on the iPhone? Nowhere because the iPhone is currently catered to the Western world, not fully for Japan.
It seems to be a matter of opinion as to how important this feature is. Studies of the Japanese market have shown many people don't use it.
Quote:
This in no way means the iPhone is doomed here. It just means Apple needs to do something more for the Japanese, which can have a trickle down, net positive impact on iPhone sales in other markets of the world. Important changes for Japan don't necessarily need to be "exclusive to Japan."
You guys want to focus on the hardware features like to miss two important points made in this report.
One it talks about how insular the Asian markets are and its tough for any international manufacturer to break into.
Two is the fact that Softbank is not selling the iPhone at price competitive rates. In comparison to other countries.
Comments
LOL
Btw, OT but Amazon JP rocks the house. I can print out my barcode/order at home in the evening, walk across the street to Seven Eleven, they scan my bar code and I pay cash and receive my Blu-Rays the next day for free. Wicked service. Or I can transfer my funds at the ATM or bank online. Either way I get it next day free.
Wow thats so advanced
We at the US still order online without having to leave home and spend money on gas or transportation. I guess we are so behind here in America
This isn't specific to the iPhone. Battery is quickly drained for all phones that use HSDPA 3G.
That is rubbish. There are many 3G phones that can sit around for days without running out of power. If you read the article he said that the iPhone lasted just a few hours without doing anything! He also knows very well how a 3G phone should behave since he has used (and designed) many of them.
You mentioned you're in the US. So then you don't need Japanese input 100% of the day.
English input is not Japanese input. Duh.
You didn't say Japanese input, you said touch screen input. Next time be more specific.
I hate to say this, but Japan is an increasingly unattractive, even uninteresting, market for Apple (as it will arguably become for most non-Japanese electronics manufacturers; look at what the article says about Nokia's share in Japan). Mac's shares are declining too.
It has become a chicken-and-egg issue: The potential size of the Japanese market for non-Japanese electronics manufacturers simply does not justify the $$ that would need to be spent given the extent of customization that would be required.
To familiarize people with Apple and the iPhone, they should start a door-to-door introductory campaign to introduce people in the neighborhoods to Apple and Apple's desire to have them as customers. I understand this was the approach taken by one of the American car manufacturers and they consequently did OK with Japanese customers. You can't just advertise and expect action on the part of people there, that approach has not worked at all.
Wow thats so advanced
We at the US still order online without having to leave home and spend money on gas or transportation. I guess we are so behind here in America
Yeah because driving is such an advanced and economical method of transportation. You DO realize that a well thought out infrastructure of trains is more advanced than highways and gas guzzlers right?
Did you not read my posts? I could stay at home and pay with a credit card but I choose to actually get off my ass and not be a slave to credit card companies. But I'm sure you are talented at building credit card debt and staying on the couch so I see your point.
Btw, I'm from North America so I'm fully aware of what we do or don't have in Canada and the US.
You didn't say Japanese input, you said touch screen input. Next time be more specific.
Are you illiterate too? Next time try reading previous post and following a thread. I've been talking about Japanese input for many posts now. Long before you came onboard.
You knew I had to come on this thread and say "I told you so".
BS reports about the amazing success and debut of the iphone. People lining up. Yeah people lining up. That was it. Lining up, NOT purchasing!!
If you want quick Asian input the iPhone is not for you. I have tried it many times and continue to try it (to convince myself to buy it
I can buy a smaller / waterproof / 1SEG TV / efficient input / 4MP camera (which records VIDEO) / SD card / rotating & flip LCD / mp3 capable / full email capable mobile phone for $30-$40 USD on a one year contract.
As I mentioned before my girlfriend works at Soft Bank. She ain't the big cheese but she's pretty high up there as Soft Bank has an empowering environment for women. NONE of her co-workers own an iPhone. Most of them have models from 2007. As they say in her office, 'the iPhone also has poor reception compared with other phones and carriers'. Still better than the current North American nightmare of course. It depends on the phone though. For Soft Bank the Sharp phones are quite reliable.
When you are on a moving train or walking which is what we are doing in Japan when we actually have time to communicate, touch input is not your friend. For the most part, you either have to stop walking or wait until the train stops.
Sorry to say but the iPhone in Japan will always be the phone that's popular for 'westerners' or Japanese who 'just have to have the Apple iPhone'.
As they say on YouTube, 'FAIL'.
*disclaimer* in Japan only.
emoji? Are you one of those foreigners/westerners that has been here for years and still types mainly in English? Anywho...As you said people stop you because yes it is a 'novelty' and the games are 'neat'. They certainly aren't running to the stores after they see your toy to buy it.
Wi-Fi is certainly not easy to find in Japan however cafes are slowly starting to carry it.
Emphasis on slowly.
Michael J. Fox.
LOL
True
Maybe they're waiting to buy the Hello Kitty app.
Not true. Amazon JP is hugely successful. Main reason for successful Blu-Ray sales in Japan.
Btw, OT but Amazon JP rocks the house. I can print out my barcode/order at home in the evening, walk across the street to Seven Eleven, they scan my bar code and I pay cash and receive my Blu-Rays the next day for free. Wicked service. Or I can transfer my funds at the ATM or bank online. Either way I get it next day free.
I don't use credit cards and Japan is pretty much a cash society. I could use my CC if I wanted to / had them but I don't / don't need. Gotta go out anyway next door to buy groceries so it's all the same.
Who NEEDS an iPhone LOL. No one. Didn't say you needed a waterproof phone either. It's simply an included feature of many models. The emails come directly to my phone as soon as someone sends me an email. Why would I need anything else? USA? So then you aren't communicating in Japanese day in and day out.
English input is not Japanese input. Japanese can be typed much faster than English due to the nature of the syllabus. If the device detracts from this ability then it's a waste.
Are you illiterate too? Next time read previous post. Duh I've been talking about Japanese input for many posts now. Long before you came onboard.
Until the last post I cannot see "Japanese input". You said:
"When you are on a moving train or walking which is what we are doing in Japan when we actually have time to communicate, touch input is not your friend. For the most part, you either have to stop walking or wait until the train stops."
Show me where is the Japanese input phrase please. Maybe you are having hard time keeping up with what you are posting because you keep editing your posts several times. Here is an advice on how to write a post. Think about what you want say, type it, read it once, read it twice, then click submit instead of constantly editing your post, which makes you look like 5th grader.
Until the last post I cannot see "Japanese input".
Show me where is the Japanese input phrase please. Maybe you are having hard time keeping up with what you are posting because you keep editing your posts several times. Here is an advice on how to write a post. Think about what you want say, type it, read it once, read it twice, then click submit instead of constantly editing your post, which makes you look like 5th grader.
Wow Nasser, you really are blind.
You even quoted me and you still don't see it? LOL
...if you want quick Asian input the iPhone is not for you. I have tried it many times and continue to try it (to convince myself to buy it ) and it just doesn't cut it. I'm not even a native Japanese and the input is too slow for me. I type Japanese quite fast. Like many Japanese I use both thumbs to type even faster.
Do you see me talking about Japanese input now?
Maybe you had trouble figuring out the meaning of my sentences. Maybe by "Asian input" + "me being in Japan" you thought it meant Russian?
Or maybe you thought "I type Japanese quite fast" means that I type Portuguese?
I didn't know editing was a sign of a 5th grader. I think it's a sign of someone who takes care to make sure their posts are correct.
Who looks like the 5th grader now?
I will use a famous word invented by a 5th grader. You just got PWNED.
Wow Nasser, you really are blind.
You even quoted me and you still don't see it? LOL
Do you see it now?
did I argue about how efficient is Japanese input on the iPhone?! I quoted a specific part with specific comment on that part. You argued that in trains the touch screen input method is not your friend. You should have said "When you are on a moving train or walking which is what we are doing in Japan when we actually have time to communicate, touch text input in Japanese is not your friend."
Anyone who reads your post will understand that part the same way I did.
Wow Nasser, you really are blind.
You even quoted me and you still don't see it? LOL
Do you see me talking about Japanese input now?
Maybe you had trouble figuring out the meaning of my sentences. Maybe by "Asian input" + "me being in Japan" you thought it meant Russian?
Or maybe you thought "I type Japanese quite fast" means that I type Portuguese?
I didn't know editing was a sign of a 5th grader. I think it's a sign of someone who takes care to make sure their posts are correct.
Who looks like the 5th grader now?
I will use a famous word invented by a 5th grader. You just got PWNED.
So you agree that touch input is not bad even when you are on trains (other than Japanese)?!
That is rubbish. There are many 3G phones that can sit around for days without running out of power. If you read the article he said that the iPhone lasted just a few hours without doing anything! He also knows very well how a 3G phone should behave since he has used (and designed) many of them.
Just because he says so makes it true? It would lend more credibility if he'd done a test with a specific phone instead of casual observation.
There have been a number of reports showing the iPhone besting other popular HSDPA 3G phones in battery life.
I don't use credit cards and Japan is pretty much a cash society. I could use my CC if I wanted to / had them but I don't / don't need. Gotta go out anyway next door to buy groceries so it's all the same.
If Japan is largely a cash society only supports the report that online purchasing is not as popular in Japan.
I thought one of the reasons iTS was soft there was because people there were already routinely buying their music using their phones, a few years ahead of Apple's music store. Why apps are such a leap beyond that, I wouldn't know.
Here is what is says in the Wall Street Journal report:
"One iPhone feature that is unique even to Japanese users is the App Store, Apple's online clearinghouse for software, such as games and reference guides. The App Store is popular among U.S. users, but hasn't taken hold as much in Japan, where consumers tend to be more cautious about making purchases online."
There have been a number of reports showing the iPhone besting other popular HSDPA 3G phones in battery life.
Those other devices also come with smaller batteries than the iphone.
I hate to say this, but Japan is an increasingly unattractive, even uninteresting, market for Apple...
You must not have "hated saying it" so much, since you said it!
Folks, this is bull. Japan is still the #2 economy in the world, second only to the US which currently is falling from grace. Indeed, the USA is an "increasingly unattractive, even uninteresting" market to many non-US manufacturers now!
You can sell nearly anything in Japan if you cater it to the Japanese. I mentioned this in my opening post in the previous article on this topic.
I'm an American who got an iPhone from Softbank on day three after the launch. I often cannot pull the phone out of my pocket without someone making a comment about how I have an iPhone and about how great it is.
I've lived in central Japan 14 years and that's been my experience about many things. Japanese people often make kind comments about things which they themselves are not necessarily interested in having. In this particular case, it could boil down to long term cost of ownership. The Japanese are sometimes more intelligent when it comes to calculating this than Americans. For in the USA, every jumped and celebrated about the so-called "lower" iPhone pricing from Apple, when in fact all Apple did was charge you more money per month in your contract, which ultimately makes them and AT&T richer than ever before!
Once again, I pay under $60 a month for 100mbs fiber internet, folks! It's nuts to pay more than than for an iPhone -- an iPhone that isn't even free when you sign up for that expensive monthly service contract. But if I were in the USA, I couldn't do this comparison, as fiber isn't available everywhere like Japan, and where it is available the cost is more than double of what it costs here in Japan.
But again, if Apple caters the product (especially in the area of improved Japanese text input) and pricing more to the likes of many Japanese, it can sell well here (except perhaps to those Japanese who don't like SoftBank over AU due to SoftBank's lackluster network and dropped calls).
I don't use credit cards and Japan is pretty much a cash society.
And more recently, a "swipe" society. Many Japanese phones have a feature whereby you can go to a convenience store and swipe your phone over a device attached to the register to pay for your item. But where's this important feature on the iPhone? Nowhere because the iPhone is currently catered to the Western world, not fully for Japan.
This in no way means the iPhone is doomed here. It just means Apple needs to do something more for the Japanese, which can have a trickle down, net positive impact on iPhone sales in other markets of the world. Important changes for Japan don't necessarily need to be "exclusive to Japan."
and who need a waterproof phone?!
I'd say Japan, it's a notoriously wet country. Rainy and humid at its biggest population centers. By annual rainfall, Tokyo is wetter than the wettest US state. It's about as rainy as the 8th rainiest US city, but 1/4th of Japan's population lives there.
Give it up Nasser. Now you're just trying to save face. Don't worry. Your ignorance won't be held against you.
It's a bad idea to tell an opponent to stop - it usually has the opposite effect. I don't know why people say stuff like this.
And more recently, a "swipe" society. Many Japanese phones have a feature whereby you can go to a convenience store and swipe your phone over a device attached to the register to pay for your item. But where's this important feature on the iPhone? Nowhere because the iPhone is currently catered to the Western world, not fully for Japan.
Isn't it just an RFID tag? If it is, then all you need is a special sticker with the tag in it.
You must not have "hated saying it" so much, since you said it!
Folks, this is bull. Japan is still the #2 economy in the world, second only to the US which currently is falling from grace.
As though the Japanese economy has been in boom times.
I've lived in central Japan 14 years and that's been my experience about many things. Japanese people often make kind comments about things which they themselves are not necessarily interested in having. In this particular case, it could boil down to long term cost of ownership. The Japanese are sometimes more intelligent when it comes to calculating this than Americans. For in the USA, every jumped and celebrated about the so-called "lower" iPhone pricing from Apple, when in fact all Apple did was charge you more money per month in your contract, which ultimately makes them and AT&T richer than ever before!
AT&T charges more for 3G. Apple makes no money directly from that.
AT&T has had to invest billions in building out its 3G infrastructure. So its not as though they are charging more for nothing.
Once again, I pay under $60 a month for 100mbs fiber internet, folks! It's nuts to pay more than than for an iPhone -- an iPhone that isn't even free when you sign up for that expensive monthly service contract. But if I were in the USA, I couldn't do this comparison, as fiber isn't available everywhere like Japan, and where it is available the cost is more than double of what it costs here in Japan.
You cannot carry that 100mbs fiber internet in your pocket and access it where ever you go. Fiber and wireless are not comparable like that.
But again, if Apple caters the product (especially in the area of improved Japanese text input) and pricing more to the likes of many Japanese, it can sell well here.
Apple has attempted to cater to Japanese text input.
And more recently, a "swipe" society. Many Japanese phones have a feature whereby you can go to a convenience store and swipe your phone over a device attached to the register to pay for your item. But where's this important feature on the iPhone? Nowhere because the iPhone is currently catered to the Western world, not fully for Japan.
It seems to be a matter of opinion as to how important this feature is. Studies of the Japanese market have shown many people don't use it.
This in no way means the iPhone is doomed here. It just means Apple needs to do something more for the Japanese, which can have a trickle down, net positive impact on iPhone sales in other markets of the world. Important changes for Japan don't necessarily need to be "exclusive to Japan."
You guys want to focus on the hardware features like to miss two important points made in this report.
One it talks about how insular the Asian markets are and its tough for any international manufacturer to break into.
Two is the fact that Softbank is not selling the iPhone at price competitive rates. In comparison to other countries.