SoftBank's iPhone exclusivity bet in 2008 made it Japan's fastest-growing carrier

In June 2008 SoftBank, Japan's number-three mobile carrier, announced a deal to sell the iPhone, surprising an industry where Apple usually chose the largest operator. Analysts doubted a touchscreen phone would win in a market that loved keitai email.

SoftBank, which had been gaining subscribers since buying Vodafone Japan in 2006, made the 11 July iPhone 3G launch its flagship event. In the first month it added 215,400 net subscribers — more than half of all new mobile customers in Japan — while KDDI lost customers and DoCoMo lagged.

SoftBank kept the exclusivity through 2011, and the iPhone turned the scrappy No.3 into a growth machine: its market share rose from about 17% to 23% over the period, and it held the No.1 spot for net additions for years.

SoftBank added 215,400 net subscribers in July 2008 — more than half of Japan's new mobile customers — and its market share rose from about 17% to 23% by 2011.

Took the deal analysts had written off

Backed it with aggressive pricing and marketing

Used Apple's brand to win young data-hungry users

Held exclusivity for three years while rivals waited

The number-three player can outflank giants by betting on a product rivals reject — but only when it pairs the device with aggressive pricing, marketing and distribution.

When the exclusivity ended in 2011, rivals gained share but SoftBank kept the subscribers it had won; the mobile momentum helped fund the group's later bets on Yahoo Japan and technology investing.