iPhone 3G - Softbank
I am not sure if it has been made official that the iPhone will be available as a 3G model too. Well, Europe needs it and Japan too. There were some rumors last year about Softbank and Apple developing a 3G model together for the Japanese market. Would Apple then develop a different 3G model for the European market with some other company? That would not make any sense.
Immediately after the iPhone keynote I started asking around in Japan when the phone would come out here and which operator would have it. Everyone at Apple stores was really tight lipped (because they know nothing). I predicted that Softbank would carry it but they didn’t tell me anything either. Untill…
I decided to ask a fairly well positioned guy at Softbank in western Japan directly. “So, the Softbank iPhone 3G comes out in 2008?” And the answer I got was: “Yes, it does.” The guy seemed somehow nervous afterwards in the discussion so I gather he was telling the truth. My question (and his own answer) probably surprised him.
This happened fairly soon after the keynote and I had not heard of any announcement back then. I guess I now know what kind of wording to use when asking about this kind of stuff.
