If you still doubt that Japan is in the middle of a smartphone revolution, here is another news item that serves as a good piece of evidence for it: Japanese pop sensation AKB48 released apps for the iPhone and Android today – in both English and Japanese (iTunes, Android market link).
Fans of the country’s most popular girl pop band can download the apps for free to view the latest AKB48 news, profiles of all 48 members, their discography, and to access the band’s YouTube channel.
For 350 yen ($4.30), users get a number of additional features, for example access the blogs of the girls and staff members, a Q&A corner for members, etc.
The official AKB48 blog on the PC can be found here. Some of the singers’ blogs are among the most popular in Japan as a whole.
Screenshots of the AKB48 iPhone app:
Serkan Toto