Tokyo Friendfinder
A seemingly insignificant press release from a Japanese company we’ve never even heard of has suddenly set tongues wagging about everyone’s favorite rumor – the fabled 3G iPhone.
Nagoya-based Aiphone chose this week to tell the world that it has been in talks with Apple since last summer about giving the US firm the right to use the ‘iPhone’ trademark in Japan.
You say iPhone, we say…
The possible conflict arose because, although ‘Aiphone’ and ‘iPhone’ are spelled differently in English, the Japanese rendering of both is exactly the same.
Aiphone the company says it has “reached a friendly agreement with Apple” that allows both to use the Japanese version within Japan.
Naturally, we have to ask why Apple should even bother going to such lengths unless it has concrete plans to bestow a 3G iPhone upon the GSM-free islands of Japan.
(Crossposted to TechRadar)
Hire us to write for you, consult on Japan tech and more.Click here and let us know what you need and maybe follow us on Twitter for all sorts of Japan adventuring.
01:50 AM 
Mark Hiratsuka •
Permalink
Japan | Wireless 
Tagged with:
3g
aiphone
apple
iphone
Add a comment | More DWT | Get a cool job in Japan! | Follow us on Twitter
Share this story online:
Or try the world's biggest matchmaking site:
Japanese gadgets from Tokyo Zakka! — Perfect gifts for your nerdiest friends back home!
Next entry: More Early Anime Unearthed
Previous entry: Japanese phone armada sets sail Westward, but does it have a map?
