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Japan’s iPhone have-not Docomo loses record 40,800 subscribers in November as customers switch carriers for iPhone 5

Friday, December 7, 2012 · 3:29 pm · 5 Comments

“NTT Docomo Inc said it lost 40,800 subscribers on a net basis in November [its biggest user decline on record], as users switched to Softbank Corp and KDDI Corp to grab an Apple Inc iPhone 5 supplied in Japan by the two smaller carriers,” Maki Shiraki reports for Reuters.

“The number of Softbank’s subscribers grew by 301,900, with the upstart carrier winning the most users on a net basis for the 11th straight month,” Shiraki reports. “The number of KDDI’s users grew by 228,800.”

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Sea change. Docomo’s probably begging Tim Cook for a deal right now.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers "Brawndo Drinker" and "Federico" for the heads up.]

Categories: News

Tags: Docomo, iPhone 5, Japan, KDDI, NTT DoCoMo, Softbank

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Comment Feed

5 Comments

David

Friday, December 7, 2012 - 3:56 pm · Reply

Awesome news
lawrence

Friday, December 7, 2012 - 5:05 pm · Reply

Great news!
Mac Daddy

Friday, December 7, 2012 - 7:31 pm · Reply

Oh, but I thought Apple didn’t understand Japanese smart phone users. The iPhone was supposed to be a total failure in Japan, since Japanese use their phones in unique ways.

So brayed the rectalists, but I suppose they had their heads up their asses as usual.
- Snoop Dogg
  
  Saturday, December 8, 2012 - 5:35 am · Reply
  
  Mac daddy, if you replace apple with nokia, then what you say is true
Jay Scott

Saturday, December 8, 2012 - 8:47 pm · Reply

NTT Docomo is sort of like the old Encyclopædia Britannica corporation. Insular,arrogant and blocking any innovation that threatens its voice/email/handset cash cow.

The iphone would be great for Docomo customers but the company is scared sh****** of 50% of its subscribers being an Apple customer. Secondly add some VOIP/text apps like LINE, Kakaotalk,Viber,Skype,Whatsapp or Wechat to the mix and we see voice and text revenue evaporate. ¥40 or 48 cents a minute to call someone even on the same network is typical here in Japan. The Dumb pipe club is recruiting new members but Docomo is fighting and kicking all the way.