Japanese mobile carrier Softbank announced pricing for the iPhone 3G which will be launched on July 11th, 2008. Softbank will sell the iPhone 3G for 23,040 yen ($214.6) with a monthly charge of 7,280 yen ($67). The service plan provides unlimited data usage and also allows subscribers to talk free between Softbank subscribers for most of the day. This is 70% higher than the average rate plan in Japan of 4,310 yen ($40). Softbank believes they will be able to attract new users to their service:
"We expect users who pay a lot to migrate from au (KDDI's mobile arm) and DoCoMo," Son told a group of reporters. "There have been users who were just attracted to our low price, but the main point this time is feature attractiveness rather than price."
DoCoMo was also in talks with Apple and has "not given up on talks".
Softbank warns that they expect the first supply to "evaporate instantly" and "we in the company will probably fight to get one as well."
Meanwhile, details of other international pricing and service plans have been emerging, including (unconfirmed):
- UK PAYG iPhone priced at 370
- One Australian customer completed an online survey about phones and price plans and listed the iPhone at $220 upfront and $80/mo service plan but may just be speculative pricing.
- iPhone Mexico rates leaked?
- Vodafone and TIM (Italy) announced unsubsidized pricing 499 and 569 euro (8GB and 16GB).
