Softbank and Sprint Join Forces in U.S. Wireless Marketplace

Masayoshi Son

This month a press release by Softbank Corp. gave the world some big news. The Japanese smartphone maker had reached a deal to buy 70 percent of the U.S. mobile carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. for $20.1 billion dollars. This is the largest ever foreign acquisition by a Japanese company. The agreement was announced at a joint news conference in Tokyo in mid-October by Softbank President Masayoshi Son and Sprint Chief Executive Dan Hesse.

So what does this mean?  For one thing, the joint venture of Softbank and Sprint signals formidable new competition for AT&T,  the world's third largest cell phone company.  The business buzz is that Sprint has struggled in recent years to compete with Verizon and AT&T and needed this boost. By combining forces, Sprint and Softbank will become a high visibility leading smartphone maker. The purchase is a major one for Softbank, which is essentially making a $20 billion gamble that it can bring its success in wireless phone services in its home market of Japan to the U.S.  It could be a really big development for us U.S. consumers who love our smartphones.

The new partnership is one of several related business developments in the wireless world. Another involve several companies coming together to form a Global Consortium. An important advantage of this Consortium is reported to be a global ecosystem of low cost phones and network devices that work off a common standard. Global ecosystem of low cost phones and network devices?  I don't know yet what this really means. Or if its good for consumers or not.

I just hope in means U.S. consumers will also get more choices of wireless services and slam dunk amazing smartphones - which so many Japanese now get to use.  Softbank offers consumers iPhones and Androids, among many others.  Five years ago when I moved back to Japan, I got a flip phone. It wasn't as fancy as the one pictured here but it was still impressive. And, I got to choose my own cell phone number! 

In Japan, Softbank is an industry leader in devices and in wireless innovation too.  SoftBank's recently-launched AXGP 4G network is capable of speeds up to 110Mbps.  This means super fast downloads. Let's take a look at one of these high speed phones.

The name of  this phone is the Softbank Sharp 007SH Aquos Hybrid Android Japanese Flip Phone. The phone actually came out in 2011, so it's not even a new model anymore.  But take a look at the cool features like High Def video recording, 16.1 megapixel camera and Japanese/English capability. Pretty amazing. Also, with a swipe of your phone you can buy something with your credit card or purchase a drink from a vending machine on the street. Of course you can tweet, text and surf the internet...and make phone calls too.

This is an Android smartphone, designed in the clam shell flip phone Japanese "keitei" style. It has a 16.1 megapixel camera and is capable of recording in High Definition, and viewing in HD and 3D.  This device has a 14/4 digital zoom function. It is waterproof and dustproof.  (Go ahead and take photos and videos underwater if you like~!)  This phone features a 3D touchscreen display, internet capability and is bilingual - capable of switching back and forth between English and Japanese.  Right now this phone is only available in Japan.

Advertising campaigns for new Softbank phones remind me of a new fashion line suited for a specific season. This is the Winter '12 - Spring '13 Collection!  The phones are sleek and stylish, like clothes on a runway.

A new phone was recently released by Softbank in Japan called the Pantone 5 107SH (pictured below).  This device has a built in radiation detector.  An eerie sign of the times, perhaps.

I do hope the Softbank - Sprint alliance will bring a new selection of innovative phones and services for  consumers, capable of doing things we are just starting to imagine. We will see.