iPhone Buzz » iphone japan

iPhone is no. 1 now in Japan. Finally…

Budi Putra — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:42:48 +0000

A survey of 2300 retail stores reveals that Apple has cleaned up in the smartphone market in Japan, TG Daily reports. Market research company BCN revealed that the iPhone 3G 8GB is easily heading the list, followed by the 16GB iPhone and the NTT CoCoMo Aquos SH-04A.

Is the ranking reliable? “Yes,” Akky Akimoto of Asiajin from Japan answered. “The shops which give their POS (point of sale) data to BCN include some nationwide chain stores, such like Eiden, K’s Denki, Bic Camera, Best Denki and, you may know this company name, Amazon Japan.” The writer also points out us with the ranking’s Japanese page (update: this is another ranking –the weekly ranking).

Released in July last year, Apple’s iPhone 3G has been sold over a million in Japan since then. The survey was conducted before the launch of the iPhone 3GS by Softbank, the country’s third largest wireless carrier, on June 26.

Akimoto also wrote:

The new iPhone 3GS started to be sold in Japan on June 26th. For your information, interestingly, the iPhone 3GS (32GB) and (16GB) seemed to be ranked at No. 174 and No. 189 on last week’s ranking, even before its release date.

The old version iPhone 3G 16GB is ranked at No. 27 down a bit from No. 23 last week, which is also interesting. Who buys the old one when the new one is coming and your payment will not differ?

[TG Daily via Fortune | image credit]

People line up for iPhone 3GS debut in Japan

Budi Putra — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:54:38 +0000

Apple released its new iPhone 3GS in Japan on Friday. According to the Asahi Shimbun, more than 200 people lined up at Softbank Mobile Corp.’s Omotesando store in Tokyo.

The Japan’s launch is a week after Apple introduced the new iPhone in the United States and Europe. It’s reported more than 1 million units have been sold in three days. Softbank, the country’s third largest wireless carrier, is the country’s sole distributor for iPhone.

The new model also went on sale in the same day in Austria, Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands.

[via MacDailyNews]

Sushi encyclopedia for the iPhone

Budi Putra — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 00:25:09 +0000

Are you a fan of sushi, Japanese cuisine? (Sushi is vinegared rice, usually topped with other ingredients, including fish, various meats, and vegetables.) It’s a good news for you. Shogakukan, major Japanese publishing company is about to launch a virtual sushi guide for the iPhone for iPhone and iPod Touch.

You can grab the app by the end of this month in Apple’s App Store with 5 USD (450 yen/3.50 Euros).

The Sushi Encyclopedia will provide 82 pictures and descriptions of 82 different kinds of sushi as your culinary refference. Not sure whether it also contains sushi restaurant directories.

The first edition will be in Japanese, but the English version to follow. Yeah, it’s Sushi time! :-)

[Asiajin via 3Gweek]

iPhone Shutter Sound Can’t Turn Off in Japan

Brenda Stokes — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:09:27 +0000

Apparently if you buy an iPhone 3G in Japan, the shutter sound when you take pictures can’t be turned off. Now, I know in other camera phones this holds true, but this is, I believe, the first time a country-specific action has been taken to prevent perverts from taking sneaky pictures, for the iPhone at least. So basically, you can turn the phone on silent mode, but it will still make that clicky sound.

My question is, why just Japan? I’m not one to encourage things that make people’s lives less convenient. After all, that click sound is pretty annoying. And what if you were trying to take a picture of a bird or something? That click would no doubt cause you to take a picture of a big blur as the bird is scared away.

But getting back to my point (yes, I have one), I want to know why girls in Japan are getting protection from perverts with iPhones and us gals in the US aren’t? What’s to say someone in a New York subway couldn’t pull the same sort of trick they’re afraid of happening in Japan? I don’t know. A mildly annoying clicking sound each time I take a picture is kind of a small price to pay to ensure some sicko can’t get a picture up my dress. With an iPhone, at least.

[via Gadget Lab at Wired.com]

[Photo by Jeff Epstein]