Will Japan Flip for the iPhone?

Japan’s tech-savvy market may be a tough sell for Apple’s iPhone, which will face more competition from handset makers there than it has anywhere else in the world, reports BusinessWeek. The market already has phones that send e-mail, browse the Internet, and, more important, are compatible with newer third-generation wireless networks that Apple hasn’t hooked into yet.

Experts say that even with a new 3G iPhone poised to launch next year, the gadget may not excite Japanese consumers the way it has captivated fans in the US and Europe. "I don't think it's going to do that well," says one analyst. Apple is negotiating with Japan's biggest wireless operator, NTT DoCoMo, to connect the iPhone to its network. (More iPhone stories.)