According to a story in the Wall Street Journal, ‘Apple’s Latest iPhone Sees Slow Japan Sales.‘  Analysts had assumed the phone would sell 1,000,000 units in Japan, but it looks as though Apple will only sell half that many (to date Apple has only sold 200,000 units in Japan).  Why?

Turns out current Japanese phones are way cooler than the iPhone offering, “high-end color display, digital TV-viewing capability, satellite navigation service, music player and digital camera. Many models also include chips that let owners use their phones as debit cards or train passes.”  The WSJ’s account of a Japanese consumer says it all, “Noriko Tanaka, a 34-year-old Softbank customer in Tokyo, said she likes the iPhone’s touch screen, but would prefer a phone with digital television capability. “The touch screen looks fun, but I’m not sure I could get used to it,” said Ms. Tanaka.”