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Remember how "the Japanese hate the iPhone"? Well, whoever those rumored people may be, they're not the Japanese who made the iPhone #1 in consumer satisfaction last year, and they're certainly not employees of the iPhone's Japanese carrier, Softbank Mobile. In fact, the only Japanese who hate the iPhone might just be employees of competitors NTT DOCOMO and KDDI. 

As reported on July 30 by national broadcaster NHK, for the April-June 2009 quarter Japanese mobile market leader NTT DOCOMO and runner-up KDDI each reported double-digit unit sales declines compared to the same quarter a year ago. DOCOMO unit sales fell 12% to 4.34 million units, while revenue fell 7.3% and profits dropped 15.1%. KDDI, which operates the carrier au, saw unit sales plunge 23% to 2.21 million units; revenues fell as well, although profits increased 20%. As the year-ago quarter also reflected poor sales, the current quarterly results are particularly painful and point up the severity of the mobile market climate.

Who came out on top? Softbank Mobile. According to Nikkei Net's coverage of Softbank Corporation's quarterly results press conference, the mobile division's year-on-year results for the quarter showed 12% unit sales growth to 2.0 million units, along with a 9% revenue gain and 36% increase in profits. In addition to cost-cutting and efficiency measures, Softbank president Masayoshi Son specifically pointed to the Apple iPhone's establishment as a hit product as one of the factors behind the success.

To combat the tough times, all three carriers plan on luring new users via lower rates; strengthening sales of cellular network adapters for laptops and netbooks; furthering targeting the senior market; and promoting specialty features like waterproof models. Softbank Mobile has a new ace up its sleeve, one that might not be waterproof but just might be recession-proof: the iPhone 3GS. Here's to another great quarter for Softbank Mobile and the iPhone.