The third biggest mobile company of Japan, Softbank announced on Monday, June 23 that it will sell the fetching 3G Apple iPhone starting from 23,040 yen, or about $215 after the product hits the market later this summer. The iPhone users will have to pay monthly fees of 7,200 yen and this will comprise, if the user's plan includes free Softbank-to-Softbank subscription, unlimited data-transmission. Masayoshi Son, the chief executive of Softbank, has stated that the iPhone will prove advantageous to the earnings of the Japanese company as it will serve to entice away customers from rivals such as DoCoMo.

One has the option of buying either the 8 GB 3G iPhone at 23,040 yen or $215 or the 16 GB higher-end model priced at 34,560 yen or $320. This mobile handset is scheduled to get introduced in the markets of Japan, United States and 20 other countries on July 11 and the demand for it is expected to be very high. It was in early June that Apple CEO Steve Jobs had declared the launch of the 3G iPhone. The Apple CEO had then said that the new iPhone would be sold at $199 in the United States and will be similarly priced in other markets as well.