NTT DoCoMo, Japan's largest mobile provider, will soon sell the Apple iPhone this coming autumn, according to sources of Reuters familiar to the matter.
This new development broke out on Friday as the mobile giant intends to stop its rivals KDDI Corp and Softbank Corp from eating more of its large market share which compose of a staggering 60 Million subscribers. The Japanese mobile carrier said however that there is no announcement yet to be made regarding the matter, based on a stock exchange statement.
Being one of the first to introduce the mobile internet, DoCoMo however is also one of the world's biggest providers who have yet to include the iPhone among its main product offerings to mobile customers. It had long refused to include the Apple product in its roster of products along with Sony's, Sharp's, and
Fujitsu's considering the iPhone had long since been the leading smartphone in Japan.
Apple will also be launching its latest iPhone version on Sept. 10. According to the Nikkei Business Daily, DoCoMo is said to be more likely to announce its offering of the iPhone on the same date.
Although the Japanese mobile provider plans to continue its promotions for the coming winter for its existing product line from phone manufacturers the Fujitsu Ltd and Sharp Corp, their corresponding shares have dipped at 1.6 percent and 1.3 percent respectively. Sony Corp on the other hand experienced a 0.5 percent increase.
Negotiations with Apple were covered with strict confidentiality. It is a prevalent notion that Apple iPhone's sales are usually bound by very stringent agreements and obligations. The possibility of these specific conditions conflicting with the Japanese giant's practices may be also be a huge factor in the close-door negotiations with Apple. To date, sources still have no definite information as to when exactly DoCoMo will be selling the iPhone.
