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Softbank's core business is being a mobile phone operator. They originated as Vodafone Japan and were distinctly third-tier for a long time, but they were the
by jpatokal 8y ago
Softbank's core business is being a mobile phone operator. They originated as Vodafone Japan and were distinctly third-tier for a long time, but they were the first in Japan to sell the iPhone and absolutely minted money in the first few years until the incumbents (NTT Docomo and KDDI) caught up:
https://i0.wp.com/www.eurotechnology.com/b/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/japan_telecoms_revenues_2000.jpg?resize=2000%2C1200 https://i0.wp.com/www.eurotechnology.com/b/wp-content/upload...
- JimboOmega 8y agoTIL. Before I read these comments I figured that Softbank was... well... a bank.
- kyle-rb 8y agoBased on their commercials, I assumed their business had something to do with talking dogs.
- aikinai 8y agoI think you just recited the history of your awareness of Softbank, which is very different from the actual company history and business. Softbank didn't originate with Vodafone; it was already 25 years old and a sprawling conglomerate, well-known for many ventures, when it acquired the mobile operator. Also, your chart doesn't fit your story. Softbank offered the iPhone in 2008 and the other carriers got it in 2012–2013, but that corresponds to a dip and then a very modest gain in the chart.