Official with Japan's NTT DoCoMo fuels speculation that carrier will offer Apple's iPhone

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Comments made by an executive with NTT DoCoMo, Japan's largest wireless carrier, have suggested a deal to carry Apple's iPhone could be inked in the near future.

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Kazuto Tsubouchi, chief financial officer of DoCoMo, said in an interview with SankeiBiz that although a deal has not yet been reached with Apple, he believes it would make good business sense for his company to do so. He added that it would be difficult to arrange something by Sept. 10, the day Apple is expected to hold a media event to unveil its new iPhone lineup.

The arrival of the iPhone on DoCoMo has been highly anticipated, as the carrier is the largest wireless provider in Japan. In the interview, Tsubouchi suggested that his company is ready to strike a deal with Apple.

The sentiment expressed by the carrier's CFO is a significant change in tone from previous comments made by DoCoMo. A representative for the company said in June that DoCoMo was in no rush to reach a deal with Apple, as the iPhone is no longer "the god of all smartphones."

A major sticking point between the two companies is said to be Apple's refusal to allow carrier partners to preinstall applications and services on the iPhone. DoCoMo has been focused on developing a "lifestyle system" which requires certain software to come installed on the phones it sells.

Pressure has been mounting on DoCoMo, as market watchers believe the carrier must forge a deal with Apple if the company is to retain its place as the top carrier in Japan. NTT DoCoMo has about 60 million subscribers.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 34
    crazy_mac_lovercrazy_mac_lover Posts: 269member
    wow ! Don't sell my aapl now as it at least worth $650 if all rumors are true .
  • Reply 2 of 34
    muadibemuadibe Posts: 136member
    Considering the same company recently decided to stop carrying the GS4, this would be decent win for Apple.
  • Reply 3 of 34
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,411member
    An extra 10M phones?
  • Reply 4 of 34
    herbapouherbapou Posts: 2,228member


    Thats nice news imo, if Apple gets Docomo and China Mobile it will have a significant impact on sales and profits.


     


    imo Japanese most likely hate corean companies who are hitting Japan tech pretty hard. If Apple comes out with Sharp IGZO panels it could help drive sales in Japan because some of the panels are coming out of a Japanese company.

  • Reply 5 of 34
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,411member
    herbapou wrote: »
    Thats nice news imo, if Apple gets Docomo and China Mobile it will have a significant impact on sales and profits.

    imo Japanese most likely hate corean companies who are hitting Japan tech pretty hard. If Apple comes out with Sharp IGZO panels it could help drive sales in Japan because some of the panels are coming out of a Japanese company.

    Apple has no need to -- indeed, should not -- start giving sops to different markets based on what pleases those markets as 'local' content.
  • Reply 6 of 34
    constable odoconstable odo Posts: 1,041member
    Please let this rumor be true. The Japanese really like the iPhone regardless of what the iHating pundits say. I don't necessarily think Apple's share price will soar because of this but it will certainly help boost market share and revenue and Apple may continue to raise its dividends every year. I don't trust those lousy hedge funds to value Apple fairly because those idiots only talk about Steve Jobs death and Apple's falling market share. Considering the idiots running those hedge funds who think Google is a far better company to invest in than Apple, they just can't be relied upon for boosting Apple's share price based on any fundamentals.
  • Reply 7 of 34
    drblankdrblank Posts: 3,385member
    if someone owns Apple stock, I would hold em. If you bought them at a price that's substantially higher than the current market price, maybe buying more and doing dollar cost averaging might be the solution.

    Once they sign on DoCoMo and China Mobile, it's going to increase iPhone sales. Tremendously.
  • Reply 8 of 34
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    muadibe wrote: »
    Considering the same company recently decided to stop carrying the GS4, this would be decent win for Apple.

    Did a search and could not find any mention of NTT no longer carrying the SGS 4. Do you have a link to backup your claim?
  • Reply 9 of 34
    eternal emperoreternal emperor Posts: 156member


    Remember how that guy from Betanews(Joe Wilcox?) just KNEW how Verizon would put Apple in its place by forcing the Verizon logo and app preloads on the iPhone. How did that strategy work out?

  • Reply 10 of 34
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,411member
    dasanman69 wrote: »
    muadibe wrote: »
    Considering the same company recently decided to stop carrying the GS4, this would be decent win for Apple.

    Did a search and could not find any mention of NTT no longer carrying the SGS 4. Do you have a link to backup your claim?

    Are you in the competitive intelligence (for Samsung) business?

    Just curious.
  • Reply 11 of 34
    brianloftusbrianloftus Posts: 81member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dasanman69 View Post





    Did a search and could not find any mention of NTT no longer carrying the SGS 4. Do you have a link to backup your claim?


    http://www.electronista.com/articles/13/08/14/ntt.docomo.dumps.slow.selling.galaxy.s4.from.winter.range/

  • Reply 12 of 34
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    anantksundaram wrote: »
    Are you in the competitive intelligence (for Samsung) business?

    Just curious.

    Not at all. I just don't go around believing anyone's claims, and before mindlessly asking for a link I searched it myself and found zero proof but I believe that absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence.
  • Reply 13 of 34
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    brianloftus wrote: »
    http://www.electronista.com/articles/13/08/14/ntt.docomo.dumps.slow.selling.galaxy.s4.from.winter.range/

    Thanks
  • Reply 14 of 34
    urbansprawlurbansprawl Posts: 153member
    No, Apple doesn't need Docomo. Docomo needs iPhone. They were stubborn and held their noses high for 5 years because they wanted to put their unneeded iMode shit on the phone and Apple refuses to degrade the experience that way. No crappy software made by docomo is going to be as gorgeous and well thought out as Apple software. And AU and SoftBank are both selling iPhone. It would ease network conditions if Docomo took on the iPhone but people who have held out for 5 years for Docomo to carry iPhone are getting sick of waiting. That's why Docomo is stirring the coals before a new iPhone release. People will be thinking to switch carriers for the new phone.
  • Reply 15 of 34
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,411member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dasanman69 View Post


    I believe that absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence.


    Hmm.... I guess that also goes for your answer to my question.....image

  • Reply 16 of 34
    connieconnie Posts: 101member


    http://www.electronista.com/articles/13/08/14/ntt.docomo.dumps.slow.selling.galaxy.s4.from.winter.range/

  • Reply 17 of 34
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    anantksundaram wrote: »
    Hmm.... I guess that also goes for your answer to my question.....;)

    What part of 'not at all' didn't answer your question?
  • Reply 18 of 34
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    connie wrote: »
    http://www.electronista.com/articles/13/08/14/ntt.docomo.dumps.slow.selling.galaxy.s4.from.winter.range/

    Thanks as well. Surprised I missed it, I visit electronista quite a bit.
  • Reply 19 of 34
    thedbathedba Posts: 793member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by herbapou View Post


    Thats nice news imo, if Apple gets Docomo and China Mobile it will have a significant impact on sales and profits.


     



    Agreed. While most pundits/analysts tend to focus on overall worldwide numbers, they keep on missing the point that Apple isn't even available from some of the largest carriers in the world.


    Docomo is one carrier, China Mobile may be the biggest fish yet. Along with that, India hasn't even begun to be tapped yet by Apple.


    Your last phrase above in bold, may be the biggest understatement of this decade.

  • Reply 20 of 34
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,411member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dasanman69 View Post



    What part of 'not at all' didn't answer your question?


    All of it.

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