Docomo Cuts iPhone 18 Pro Effective Cost by 33,000 Yen
Docomo has not disclosed its intent, but the timing and the mechanics point to a response to au and SoftBank, which the article says have offered lower effective costs than Docomo.
Reporting from 1 source: ASCII.jp.
NTT Docomo changed the effective out-of-pocket cost of the iPhone 18 Pro (256GB) on September 15, with the new pricing live on the Docomo Online Shop and ahamo site from September 16. Customers switching from another carrier who apply the Itsudemo Kaedoki Program and Docomo de Kae Kaetoku Wari, and who return the device in the 23rd month, pay 66,990 yen, which is 33,000 yen less than before.
The discount works by shifting the load: installment payments from the 1st to the 23rd month go down, and payments from the 24th month onward go up. Docomo has not explained why it made the change. The article says the move is believed to be intended in part to compete with au and SoftBank, which have offered lower effective costs than Docomo.
The iPhone 18 Pro (256GB) has been available for pre-order. The reduced pricing applies to customers who switch carriers under MNP, apply both the Itsudemo Kaedoki Program and the Docomo de Kae Kaetoku Wari, and return the handset in the 23rd month. Because the installment schedule is front-loaded toward the later months, the return timing matters: holding the device past month 23 costs more.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- ASCII.jp ドコモがiPhone 18 Proいきなり値下げ、ソフトバンク対抗か