Japanese cellular provider Softbank is joining Three UK and Orange UK in offering customers subsidized iPads in return for signing a multi-month contract. Softbank’s most enticing proposal offers customers a free 16GB 3G + WiFI iPad in return for signing up for a 25-month 24-month contract costing ¥4725 ($56 USD or £36) per month.
Cheaper discount pricing (especially free) is something we normally don’t see on Apple products. When it does happen, it is almost always the third party eating the cost. With that said, Moco News speculates that the subsidized iPads could be an attempt by Apple to get more iPads into the market in a timely fashion in an attempt to attract more iAd publishers — iAd in particular will be launching in Japan in early 2011. It’s certainly plausible. Though as already mentioned, the discounted cost it more likely a decision by Softbank to simply tie people into a 25-month contract in which they’ll make up the iPad’s subsidized price and then some.
Even then, Japanese users on the fence regarding purchasing an iPad due to high pricing now have a chance to take another look.
Via: Moco News
