Japan iPhone 3G prices close to US as promised by Jobs

Stephen Withers
Tuesday, 24 June 2008 03:05

Your IT - Mobility

Some were sceptical when Steve Jobs said the iPhone 3G would be sold around the world for $US199, but if you allow a little poetic licence it seems to be coming true. At least, that happens to be the case in Japan.

Reports from Japan say that the iPhone 3G will sell in that country for ¥23,040 ($US214/$A224) for the version with 8G of memory, and ¥34,560 ($US320/$A337) for 16G.

This is remarkably close to the US prices ($US199 and $US299), and is a sign that Apple will be delivering on the claim made by CEO Steve Jobs that the new phone will be available worldwide at the same price.

The announcement comes from Softbank, which is the third-biggest mobile phone company in Japan. Neither NTT DoCoMo or KDDI have announced a deal with Apple that would let them sell iPhones, though the former is believed to still be negotiating with Apple.

A similar situation applies in Australia, where Optus and Vodafone have announced they will be offering the iPhone to customers, but market leader Telstra has not. Telstra has been tipped to announce a deal with Apple in the coming weeks.

The catch, of course, is that the US and Japanese prices apply to iPhone 3Gs purchased on contract. In the US, basic monthly charge for new customers is $US59.95  most Japanese customers are expected to take a ¥7280 ($US67/$A71) per month contract that provides unlimited data and free calling to other Softbank customers.

There are still suggestions that the iPhone 3G will be available in an officially unlocked form, at least in some markets. In France, the original model sold for €749 ($US1162/$A1221) when unlocked as required by French law.

What about the grey market? Please read on, and you'll also get the latest about iPhone distribution in Europe..