iPhone Has No Impact on Japan
Japanese operator says it saw no adverse effects when rival Softbank launched the device in early-July.
NTT DoCoMo posted its first operating profit for three years this morning and wasted no time in reaffirming it was right not to strike a deal to offer Apple’s iPhone.
Back in June there were suggestions that DoCoMo - Japan’s largest operator - was snubbed during discussions with Apple, which eventually announced a deal with rival operator Softbank.
But NTT DoCoMo president Ryuji Yamada told the company’s earnings news conference: “Judging from the recent sales trend of major carriers, we did not see a massive outflow of subscribers to our competitors, which seems to suggest that demand for iPhones is largely for secondary use.”
DoCoMo has posted fiscal 1Q revenue down 1.1 per cent at 1.17 trillion yen, with operating profit coming in 45 per cent up at 296.5 billion yen. Net profits rose 41 per cent to reach 173.5 billion yen.