It amazes me the current coverage of Mobile phones on sites like engadget. I think it is b/c although I've done a lot of tech reading I've stuck with my favorites and really not been a big reader of this site. But it seems to me there is finally a clear push in North America for their mobile devices... despite the fact that they have the best devices available in the world. (I.e. they have the iPhone, the newest and best blackberry's, and a multitude of windows mobile devices) they have the worst infrastructure. Well Japan may have the worst (its great in some ways -fast, clear, and always available) but only if you have a Japanese phone! Yeah 3G is pretty common, but most people I know who come here don't have a 3G handset yet. Not sure about the Europeans, I know 3G is readily available there too, but really is up to people updating their handsets. Some of my friends here change them almost seasonally ( you know who you are you big Belgian!).
Anyhow I also think that in Japan we've had FAR more press on the mobile devices, as it has rapidly become the preferred method of personal computing. (I'm defining personal computing as Web, mail, and web shopping). There is money to be made on phones here, I've even bought a ring tone in the past myself, and I once read that of personal stock trades most are done on mobile phones here. Another big factor has been the great job that the Japanese designers have done in using the standard keypad to input Japanese. It is fast. Even for me as a non native speaker. My current phone (although not 3G) has a 5Mega Pixel Camera, can get on the web, access Google, big clear screen, and cost 1 penny. But to be honest I don't like it. Its a decent phone which is good, but there has been no thought into actually using it. My old Sony Eriksson were excellent.
After all that Ramble... I wonder how the iPhone will do here. As for now, it doesn't offer to much other than any current Japanese phone, other than touch screen.
