SoftBank Pulls a SoftBank, Again

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A new iPhone announcement is always fun. Japanese carriers maneuver and compete with each other to capture the largest share of iPhone upgrades. iPhone 7 was expected to be, another, off year. Apple unveiled iPhone 7 and everything changed.

Maybe is was the Super Mario Run Nintendo announcement, or the endless Pokemon Go boom, or even the black comedy /political satire mega hit movie “Shin-Godzilla”.  Whatever the reason, monster-mania is everywhere.

SoftBank’s love affair with iPhone which had been on the rocks until the iPhone 7 event, has become monster again. SoftBank opened their iPhone 7 sales salvo by offering  a new “Giga-monster”  20GB monthly data tier for 6, 000 JPY.

By comparison Docomo offers 20 GB of monthly date for 16,000 JPY. The iPhone 7 monster carrier wars in Japan are just getting started.

Update 1: Right on cue KDDI au announced new “Data-Zilla” data tiers, 20GB and 30 GB that match SoftBank prices. To be fair though, KDDI au were first carrier to use the monster theme. Your turn Docomo.

Update 2: And Docomo makes it to the finish line with their “Ultra-pack” data tier campaign just before iPhone 7 goes on sales