Apple inks Japan iPhone deal with Softbank

Apple has landed yet another international distribution deal for the iPhone, reaching a deal that enables it to ship the device in Japan. In a statement released today, SoftBank said that it will sell Apple's iPhone later this year, but did not provide any other details in the terse statement: "Softbank Mobile Corp. today announced it has signed an agreement with Apple to bring the iPhone to Japan later this year." The deal does not mention exclusivity and Apple has already abandoned that strategy in a few markets, such as Australia and has signed deals with limited exclusivity in Spain. Continuing reports from last December, reports surfaced in May that Apple was in talks with both Japan's NTT DoCoMo and South Korea's KTF, though both companies rely on W-CDMA broadband, as opposed to the HSPA the 3G iPhone.

Reports (and speculation) continue to surface about the new 3G-enabled iPhone, widely expected to be introduced at WWDC next week, including recent claims of a thinner design along with a better battery life.

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