Today Softbank, the company to introduce the 3G iPhone in Japan on July 11th, announced [JP] the price plan for this country. The 8GB model will cost $213, while the 16GB version will be sold for $325 (to be paid over a period of 2 years).
Softbank is known to be the pricebreaker in Japan’s highly competitive mobile telecommunications market. The company said it will not follow a premium strategy with the iPhone but instead offer all free-call benefits that come with the purchase of their other mobile phones. With the so-called White Plan, for example, Softbank subscribers are able to call each other for free between 1 am and 9 pm (for $9 per month).
The unlimited data package will be available for $56. This price is significantly lower than the up to $90 Softbank usually charges for other smartphones. The company said it is confident to be able to amortize the costs, believing the iPhone is going to be highly popular in Japan. Softbank also said it will provide free telephone support for iPhone buyers for 90 days.