Apple in talks for Japanese iPhone launch

The popularity of an item should be measured by its longevity not by an initial surge of unbridled enthusiasm. In truth, the iPhone's popularity in Britain, France and Germany is anything but proven. In what numbers will it be selling in a years time? The manner in which Apple is drip-feeding the product to the global market could be construed as minimal faith in a marginal product. The iPhone is no Wii and never will be! If the supposed pent-up demand for this item was evenly and globally dissipated we would see the true measure of its popularity, cognisant of the fact that sales in (and from) legitimate territories are partly the consequence of the devices uneven availability. Ultimately, this may become the first Apple product that delivers all of which it is capable from an early stage rather than the traditional Cupertino modus operandi where devices are significantly under-specified and constrained to extend the product life cycle so that it is two or more (or never) years before the product achieves a specification of which it was capable at the outset. (Apple are not alone in this, of course... Sony take a bow!) All remains to be "proven"!

the iphone is obsolete by japanese standards. without 3g, it can't even operate, since 3g is all that exists in japan. au is a cdma/evdo carrier, so them being excluded is understandable. but seriously, without a massive upgrade including felica, 3g, and a clamshell revision, the iphone will have little appeal in japan.

http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/product/foma/index.html

The iPhone is no Wii? Well of course it isn't, since you don't have to pay $179 to get out of your two year contract with your PS3 to play a Wii.

The iPhone isn't a "surge" product, it's s steady stream product. Meaning, as people's cell contracts expire, they will move over to the iPhone. Launch day was people whose contracts were already expired, or people willing to pay the fee to terminate their contracts early to have the device. If early termination fees weren't an issue, I'd be willing to bet the people trying to make $500 selling iPhones on eBay would have had their day.

Features is not equal to usability. Study shows that only about 10% of features are used by most people, while iPhone users use most of the features.

So 10% of 100 features is 10 features used, while 90% of 50 features is 45 features used.

playing providers against each-other? That's business 101- get as much control as you can and lock in the best deal possible. And in Apple's case, it's a rare position to be in with that market. If they're truly asking "too much," which is a very relative phrase, then the companies don't have to take up the offer. The iPhone isn't going to make or break their business, just add some extra revenue lines.

At this point, you might as well be a socialist if you've got issues with a for-profit company using its clout to try and get the best deal for its product.