It's Here!

What we have been waiting for. Finally the iPhone debuts in Japan actually this new 3G model went on sale world wide as you all know, but Japan was the first country to get things started off. About 1,500 people lined up at the softbank store in Harajuku for a chance to get this neet little device. And granted it looks cool and has a lot of cool features, it still is behind almost any cell phone in Japan.
In preparation for the iPhone debut I switched mobile carriers. That and the fact that most of my friends had softbank and calls to them are then free, as well as SMS to the same. Well let's see what can my phone do?

1. I have internet access.
2. I have e-mail, and can send to and receive from a pc.
3. 2 mega pixel camera. (very low there are much better)
4. International roaming.
5. Infared and bluetooth data transfer.
6. Deco mail. Interesting and fun.
7. IC card for paying train fare, vending machines, convient stores, and restaurants. Touch and go.
8. Media player.

In other words, iPhone just doesn't have all the cool things that Japanese phones already have. It is basically a small computer, and has cool features but is it worth the cost. Here is the price breakdown for use of the iPhone.

The monthly dialing basic rate and internet service plus special iPhone e-mail works out to 7,280. But then you have to pay for the phone in monthly installments. Thus the 10,160. Ok so I don't think I'm ready to pay roughly $100 a month to use this, and it doesn't even enter in the additional dialing charges. Now granted they do have a wpecial discount that you can sign up for which is the 8,240. So basically untill Mac wakes up and smells the coffee and is willing to offer things that would really put this product in competition with other mainline phones and can come up with better service packages, I will keep waiting. Even after saying all this though, I still have to admit it is really cool, and it would be fun to have.