Finally, Softbank Mobile got the iPad Pre-sales started. We could find no queue at their storefronts last Sunday’s night, but the scenes have been changed in yesterday’s morning.
(In front of Softbank Mobile Omotesando. Picture courtesy: Japan’s A-list brogger Ichiroo a.k.a. Kotori Piyopiyo[J])
The Nikkei reports more than 100 people have been queuing at Bic Camera (a large consumer electronics retailer) in Yurakucho, 70 people at Softbank’s flagship store in Omotesando and more than 100 at Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara.
BTW, we reported that the iPad models to be purchased through Apple Stores and Apple’s online store may be SIM lock free, but it was found that all the models sold in Japan are SIM locked and able to be used only on Softbank’s 3G network regardless of the sales channels. NTT DoCoMo seems to have got no information from Apple on that exclusiveness until the pre-sales started, and DoCoMo announced it had given up to sell SIM cards targeting the iPad users, Jiji News says[J].
Masaru IKEDA