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Will Japan Flip for the iPhone?

Tech-savvy nation may not be all that jazzed about Apple's bells and whistles

By Jim O'Neill,  Newser User

Posted Dec 21, 2007 11:36 AM CST

(Newser) – Japan’s tech-savvy market may be a tough sell for Apple’s iPhone, which will face more competition from handset makers there than it has anywhere else in the world, reports BusinessWeek. The market already has phones that send e-mail, browse the Internet, and, more important, are compatible with newer third-generation wireless networks that Apple hasn’t hooked into yet.

Experts say that even with a new 3G iPhone poised to launch next year, the gadget may not excite Japanese consumers the way it has captivated fans in the US and Europe. "I don't think it's going to do that well," says one analyst. Apple is negotiating with Japan's biggest wireless operator, NTT DoCoMo, to connect the iPhone to its network.

Time Inc. provided this photo of the cover of the Nov. 12, 2007, issue of Time Magazine. The magazine has named the iPhone the invention of the year. (AP Photo/Time Inc.)
Time Inc. provided this photo of the cover of the Nov. 12, 2007, issue of Time Magazine. The magazine has named the iPhone the invention of the year. (AP Photo/Time Inc.)   (Associated Press)
A customer tries out an Apple iPhone at an Apple store in Palo Alto, Calif., Oct. 19, 2007.
A customer tries out an Apple iPhone at an Apple store in Palo Alto, Calif., Oct. 19, 2007.   (Associated Press)
Apple CEO Steve Jobs, here with the Apple iPod Touch in San Francisco, has grand plans for the iPhone market in Japan. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, file)
Apple CEO Steve Jobs, here with the Apple iPod Touch in San Francisco, has grand plans for the iPhone market in Japan. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, file)   (Associated Press)
People line up 28 November 2007 in front of a parisian shop, on the Champs-Elysee avenue, selling the new Apple iPhone. The Apple iPhone handset, incorporating mobile phone, multimedia access and music functions, first goes on sale in France today through 12 outlets before a full launch tomorrow, following European...
People line up 28 November 2007 in front of a parisian shop, on the Champs-Elysee avenue, selling the new Apple iPhone. The Apple iPhone handset, incorporating mobile phone, multimedia access and music...   (PIERRE VERDY/AFP/Getty Images)
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