“Softbank Corp., controlled by billionaire Masayoshi Son, doubled third-quarter profit as the Japanese mobile-phone operator lured new customers with Apple Inc. smartphones and tablet computers,” Naoko Fujimura reports for Bloomberg News. “Net income rose to 65.9 billion yen ($724 million) in the three months ended December from 32.8 billion yen a year earlier, the Tokyo-based company said in a statement today. Sales gained 7.1 percent to 923.7 billion yen.”
“Softbank agreed in October to buy a $20 billion stake in Sprint Nextel Corp. to expand into the U.S., and it has acquired eAccess Ltd. in Japan to meet bandwidth demand from iPhone users,” Fujimura reports. “Sales of the Apple devices have helped Softbank boost earnings more than sevenfold during the past four years.”
Fujimura reports, “‘Everything’s going well for Softbank, unlike DoCoMo,’ said Hitoshi Hayakawa, an analyst at Credit Suisse Group AG… The Tokyo-based company, which doesn’t offer the iPhone, had a net loss of subscribers in November, the first decline in more than five years.”
“In Japan, Softbank has narrowed the gap in subscribers with DoCoMo and KDDI Corp. by cutting basic fees and being the first in the country to offer the iPhone, adding the most net new users every year since 2007. By increasing smartphone subscribers that require more data, Softbank also raised average revenue per user,” Fujimura reports. “‘Sales of the iPhone 5 have been strong, contributing positively to our earnings,”’ Son said.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: It sucks to be an iPhone have-not, huh, DoCoMo?
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “David E.” for the heads up.]
But.. But.. iPhone is bad for the carriers!!!
Ask any ANALyst…
But, but, but… Apple is “Dead”, the iPhone is no longer “cool” or “popular”, Hemroid is “winning”, customers want “bigger screens” like the Scamdung GS III offers, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!!!
But, but, the Japanese mobile phone business is very different from the rest of the world. The iPhone will never get a foothold in Japan. Does anyone remember all the industry idiots spouting off about that way back when?
iPhone doesn’t receive over-the-air TV broadcasts or let you buy panties by swiping a vending machine.
It’ll never be big in Japan.
By now I’m sure there are a few apps for that.
But but but but that’s Apple good news! It’s gonna kill AAPL’s price. 🙁
Apple’s share prices have always tanked on good news. Since 1999 when I started watching the stock, wish I had had the money to invest back then. I just see Apple good news as a buy opportunity.
Actually, the tank-after-announcement effect is a well known human herding phenomenon. I recall taking advantage of it before a Kodak stockholder meeting. I sold all my stock at $55 a share before the meeting. After the meeting, the stock price never reached $55 again. Swirling down the drain it did go.
You can feel the pressure in the Docomo and China Mobile board rooms.
Good! They deserve it. All of those who ignored or denigrated the iPhone deserve what they get. It is the reason I left Sprint, now look at them grovel for Apple.