http://bananasdesign.com/blog/iphone-usage-in-japan-five-casual-observations Bananas Design - developing iPhone applications - Blog Mon, 13 Jul 2009 02:34:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://bananasdesign.com/blog/iphone-usage-in-japan-five-casual-observations/comment-page-1#comment-10 Stef Sun, 05 Jul 2009 21:39:51 +0000 http://bananasdesign.com/blog/?p=25#comment-10 No way, I live in Japan, there is wifi everywhere, but free wifi is still rare except in some residential areas. I am on a flat rate with Docomo's wifi for a 15 bucks a month. Broadband penetration is quite high, too, there are campaigns where you get a netbook foc and all the people I know are on broadband. The routers you get have all wifi capabilities built in. As for iPhone penetration, I come across a couple of users per day, but maybe not like in SFO or other countries. Reason might be the keyboard - Japanese is easier to enter on the traditional keitais. More importantly, there is no osaifu keitai function, i.e. you can't use them as an electronic wallet or as a suica card for JR, that's really a showstopper. No way, I live in Japan, there is wifi everywhere, but free wifi is still rare except in some residential areas. I am on a flat rate with Docomo’s wifi for a 15 bucks a month. Broadband penetration is quite high, too, there are campaigns where you get a netbook foc and all the people I know are on broadband. The routers you get have all wifi capabilities built in. As for iPhone penetration, I come across a couple of users per day, but maybe not like in SFO or other countries. Reason might be the keyboard – Japanese is easier to enter on the traditional keitais. More importantly, there is no osaifu keitai function, i.e. you can’t use them as an electronic wallet or as a suica card for JR, that’s really a showstopper.

]]> http://bananasdesign.com/blog/iphone-usage-in-japan-five-casual-observations/comment-page-1#comment-8 Patrick Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:30:30 +0000 http://bananasdesign.com/blog/?p=25#comment-8 In the past Docomo had a virtual monopoly on cell phone usage. They effectively had a closed system that gave users a quasi internet - like the original AOL. I suppose they might be hooked on their Docomo. Plus, if they have to be gouged like US consumers by AT&T then they surely won't be quick to switch. In the past Docomo had a virtual monopoly on cell phone usage. They effectively had a closed system that gave users a quasi internet – like the original AOL. I suppose they might be hooked on their Docomo. Plus, if they have to be gouged like US consumers by AT&T then they surely won’t be quick to switch.

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