Vertu has announced that it'll be bringing its brutally excessive hardware to Japan this December, when the very first Vertu boutique in the country opens in Tokyo's Ginza district. The first phone to be offered there will presumably be the Signature S Design offered on NTT DoCoMo or Softbank, thanks to its 3G radio and an OLED display that might (emphasis on "might") stop the meagerly-spec'd handset from getting laughed out of a country where WVGA displays and one-seg tuners are the norm. Of course, Vertu has never pretended to be on top of the tech game -- with those guys, it's all about the precious metals and gems you can cram in there -- and it sounds like they'll be offering gold and platinum variants (among others) that range between ¥890,000 and ¥5,000,000 (about $8,400 to $47,400). If you're nowhere near Ginza, don't worry; other Vertu shops are expected across Japan next year.

[Via Unwired View]

Softbank can safely say it has a pretty decent quarter here recently, but compared to NTT DoCoMo, it's looking weak. The exclusive iPhone 3G carrier in Japan has decided to answer outcries of "too expensive!" by lowering the minimum monthly data charge that each iPhone 3G user must pay. Previously, users were forced to hand over ¥5,985 ($55) per month for unlimited data; now, users can pay just ¥1,695 ($16) per month to cover 20,175 packets of data "after which users will pay per-packet until 71,250 packets, at which time the previous ¥5,985 charge is reached and further data use is not charged." In semi-related news, the carrier has also announced that it will begin taking reservations for the handset, so yeah, there's that.

Seen exclusively, an 8.1% rise in operating profit is pretty remarkable. But when you consider that rival NTT DoCoMo just posted a 41% boost in profits... well, you get the point. Unsurprisingly, Softbank was able to increase its profits by reducing the amount of subsidies it applied to phones -- which obviously led to fewer new handset sales overall -- but analysts were still perturbed by the amount of discounts it did hand over. Reportedly, the street was expecting operating profits to top ¥86.1 billion ($805.7 million), but the outfit wound up missing the mark by a cool billion yen ($9.36 million). As for the iPhone 3G influence? Gotta wait 'til next quarter, bub.

[Via mocoNews]

Japan's only carrier to seal the deal with Apple thus far, SoftBank Mobile, has unveiled key details about its pricing strategy when the device launches on July 11 alongside the rest of the globe. The 8GB and 16GB models will sell for ¥23,040 (about $214) and ¥34,560 (about $321) respectively, just a hair higher than the $199 and $299 being charged by AT&T in the US. As might be expected, SoftBank -- which has historically stolen customers from its competitors with extremely aggressive pricing -- is taking a more aloof approach with the iPhone, claiming that the prestige of the device will be enough to get people in the door. Along those lines, a ¥7,280 (about $68) per month plan will be required, which includes unlimited data and represents about a 70 percent premium over the average SoftBank customer's bill. Without one-seg or a wide VGA display -- two features that are virtually givens on domestic Japanese handsets these days -- it'll be interesting to see how the "yeah, but it's Apple" approach flies here.

[Via mocoNews]

If you're noticing a trend in Softbank Mobile's latest lineup, you're not alone. With the exception of a single device -- the PANTONE Slide 825SH from Sharp -- every single device here is a flip, although the Panasonic 921P rocks a dual pivot to make the one-seg viewing even more enjoyable. Here's a quick rundown of what we've got:

• Sharp 923SH. Huge 3.3-inch WVGA display with AQUOS branding. Early July launch.
• The Premium Waterproof 824SH from Sharp. Alleged to be the world's thinnest waterproof phone with a 15.3mm metal body. Early July launch.
• Panasonic Tropical 823P. We're not sure where the "Tropical" comes into play here, but it's waterproof. Late June launch.
• Sharp PANTONE Slide 825SH. Integrated motion sensors and a choice of eight colors are all well and good, but we think the 825SH's real selling point here is that it's the only slide in a sea of flips. Early July launch.
• NEC 821N. It's got a "cute incoming light," according to the translated press release, and that's good enough for us. Early July launch.
• Panasonic Mirror II 824P. It's alleged that the 824P's glossy surface changes color when you look at it from different angles, though it's the WQVGA display that we'd probably be spending most of our time ogling. Early August launch.
• Toshiba 824T. This one is targeted at women, according to Softbank, with a jewel-like surface and color options to match. Early September launch (so much for the "Summer" part of "Summer collection" on that one, we guess).
• NEC 821N GLAMOROUS. This extra-fancy version of the 821N is being launched in collaboration with GLAMOROUS Magazine, featuring custom designed shells, themes, wallpapers, and ringtones. Launches September 6.
• NEC 820N. A stainless steel 11.7mm body should be enough to sell this one to a few souls; one-seg and a 3-inch display aren't going to hurt, either. Early July launch.
• Toshiba 823T. The 2 megapixel camera isn't going to garner a lot of attention, but this might be our favorite design of the lot with some tastefully integrated carbon fiber accents. Launches early September.
• Panasonic 921P. Taking a cue from the 923SH, this one rolls with VIERA branding on its 3.1-inch WVGA display, which pivots in both directions for easy TV viewing. Launches early August.

It's not quite the varied motherload that the carrier's Spring collection swept in, but as usual, it still leaves the typical phone from... oh, anywhere else in the dust. We bow to your technical superiority, Softbank.

Japan's third-largest mobile phone operator now has rights to Apple's iPhone. As has been the norm recently, the announcement is a one-liner without any details related to exclusivity (NTT DoCoMo and KDDI still can has a chanceburger) or model... though it should be noted that Softbank is a W-CDMA (UMTS 3G), not GSM/EDGE carrier. Softbank only says that they'll be selling the iPhone "later this year."

Apparently satisfied enough with its first model to take another stab at the Japanese market, Softbank MVNO Disney Mobile is trotting out another Sharp-sourced model, the DM002SH. The Cinderella-themed flip is targeted squarely at the fairer sex, coming reasonably well-equipped with wide QVGA resolution on its 2.6-inch primary display, 2 megapixel camera, microSD slot, an OLED external display, and one-seg TV tuner. As far as we can tell, there's also precisely zero shortage of Cinderella media -- movies, ringtones, and the like -- so owners really need only to pick up the crystal slippers to complete the package. It'll be available starting June 7 in silver, pink, and gold, just like the original DM001SH.

[Via Akihabara News]

Simmer down, we're not talking about yet another homegrown 3G standard from China here. Oh no -- Vodafone, Softbank and China Mobile are teaming up to establish a Joint Innovation Lab (JIL) that will "promote the development of new mobile technologies, applications and services." More specifically, the trio is aiming to accelerate the "commercial deployment of mobile internet services" such as mobile widgets. For starters, the initiative hopes to conjure up a platform for said widgets that can leverage the unique capabilities of mobile operators, and it's most certainly keeping the door to the party wide open for anyone who wants to get in on the action. As expected, we're not clearly told what to expect from this little tie-up, but we'll be keeping an ear to ground for any developments.

It's fairly commonplace for Chinese manufacturers to crank out clones of other popular wares, but apparently, things aren't brushed off as easily when the cloning gets done by a mega-corp like Toshiba. Granted, quite a bit is lost in translation here, but the long and short of it is that NTT DoCoMo and Fujitsu are suing Tosh for creating and selling its 821T -- which, as you can see above, looks an awful lot like Fujitsu's RakuRaku handset. Reportedly, the plaintiffs have demanded that Softbank Mobile withdraw the 821T from the market, but it seems there's quite a bit more back-and-forth left to go down before the dust settles on this one.

[Via GearFuse]

Right on KDDI's heels comes Softbank, roaring in with fourteen new models (not including the oh-so-pricey Tiffany phone) for the spring season. Though the lineup includes the usual array of crazy clamshells, this particular group includes a curious model designed specifically for stock trading and the Japanese introduction of a couple phones we're already well acquainted with. Can ya spot 'em in the picture there? Read on!

See, the problem with most phone manufacturer / boutique hookups is that the handsets start out at a fairly high price -- but not high enough to keep them out of all but the most privileged, ridiculous people -- then quickly fall off to the point where even we can afford to put one in our pocket if we really wanted to. What's the point in a designer-branded device if it's actually attainable? Well, Tiffany and Japan's Softbank Mobile have it all figured out, vowing to release a phone this month that comes in somewhere north of ¥10,000,000 (about $93,600). Seeing how it's Tiffany and all, rest assured it'll have plenty of glittering gems -- over 400 diamonds, to be specific, totaling somewhere north of 20 carats in weight. Question is, what exactly do you do when Softbank comes out with another all-new lineup in a few weeks?

[Via textually.org]

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again -- preferably on a different continent. That's the attitude Disney is taking with its Disney Mobile MVNO, shutting down its poorly-received US service and heading over to Japan where Softbank is serving up the necessary airwaves this time around. The target demo is decidedly different now, too -- whereas the US service was aimed at families with young kiddies, the Japanese rendition is targeting women in their 20s and 30s, seen as prime consumers of Disney content. The first handset to support Disney Mobile will be the DM001SH, a reworked version of Sharp's 821SH for Softbank that features 3G data, a 2 megapixel cam, 400 x 240 internal and 60 x 32 external displays, one-seg mobile TV, FeliCa, and no shortage of Mickey Mouse branding. All told, we'd say it's just a tad hotter than the carrier's now-deceased US offerings. Look for the service to launch March 1.

[Via Tech-On!]

According to the Wall Street Journal Asia, Jobs and Co are in Japan working out the details for a domestic iPhone launch. It's no surprise then that Jobs was rumored to have just met with NTT DoCoMo's president, Masao Nakamur, to discuss the deal with the largest carrier in the world's second-largest economy. As usual, Apple seems to be playing the carriers off one another with rumors that The Steve is courting Softbank as well. However, "people familiar with the situation" say that DoCoMo is the first choice. While the revenue sharing is a sticking point as usual, WSJA says that Apple doesn't expect to have any difficulty closing the deal. Funny, that's what everyone was saying about Vodafone in Europe.

P.S. -For what it's worth, NTT DoCoMo does not run a GSM / EDGE network. Any iPhone released on DoCoMo's FOMA service will be UMTS / HSDPA -- right, the 3G iPhone.

Finally, your greatest and weirdest dream can be realized. Besides being able to check your Facebook account, email your girlfriend, call your Mom on the holidays, or play a Java version of Golden Axe, you can take a college class via your mobile phone. The questionably named Cyber University in Japan has begun offering a mobile class on the "mysteries of the pyramids," but instead of a typical PC's display of text, images, sound, and video, the mobile version offers a streaming Power Point presentation on the topic. The university -- 71-percent of which is owned by Softbank, a mobile service provider -- has 1,850 students, and offers almost 100 courses, though only one is available for phones. Sakuji Yoshimura, head of Cyber University, says that the technology will allow those with jobs or who have disabilities greater access to education. "Our duty as educators is to respond to the needs of people who want to learn," he said -- then went on to add, "Even if the course is interrupted by an SMS."