iPhones in Japan

The World

The Japanese love their cell phones, but they’re not so sure about the iPhone. "The World’s" Cyrus Farivar reports from Tokyo.

Japan runs a distant second to the U.S. in iPhone sales. Japanese consumers want specific features that the iPhone doesn’t have — like an electronic wallet, or e-wallet, that contains encrypted bank and credit card data that allows users to make electronic purchases and other transactions on their phone.

In the U.S., Apple advertises the iPhone as a cell phone that anyone can use to get online and send email, and while that might be new for many American cell phone users, it’s old-hat for users in Japan.

The company that sells iPhones in Japan recently cut the price of its monthly plan in half to draw in new customers.

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