Softbank Shifts Strategy With iPhone; Prices Device Starting At $215

Japan's number three carrier released prices and tariffs today, saying it would sell the iPhone starting at 23,040 yen ($215), according to Reuters. Customers will also have to take out a monthly plan costing 7,280 yen ($68)?which includes unlimited data.

The carrier, which has built its business on undercutting its rivals DoCoMo ( NYSE: DCM) and KDDI, is taking a different tack with the iPhone and said that it expects the handset to lure high-paying consumers from its two competitors. CEO Masayoshi Son said, "There have been users who were just attracted to our low price, but the main point this time is feature attractiveness rather than price." Son has also predicted that the phones will be a sell-out in Japan, which analysts and even Son himself have questioned. Son said he expected the first batch of iPhones to "evaporate instantly," and that supplies "will likely be scarce for a while."

DoCoMo, which was widely expected to get the iPhone deal, is still in negotiations to sell the handset. Some analysts expressed doubts over the iPhone's chances in the Japanese market, given the widespread availability of much more sophisticated devices on the market. The 8 gigabyte version of the iPhone will cost 23,040 yen ($215), while the 16 gigabyte model will sell for 34,650 yen ($322).

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