NTT DoCoMo subscribers on the decline without iPhone

It's difficult to imagine, but Japan's leading cellular carrier still doesn't offer the iPhone. In fact, NTT DoCoMo is seeing its subscriber base shrink by record numbers as its competitors, Softbank and KDDI, continue to grow. Both have been offering the iPhone for some time.

NTT DoCoMo saw its subscribers drop by 40,800 in November alone according to Reuters and freely admits that its lack of the iPhone is to blame. By comparison, Softbank gained 301,900 new subscribers in the same month, and KDDI did almost as well adding 228,800 customers. Both carriers are seeing brisk sales of the iPhone 5, which launched in Japan on September 21.

Despite admitting that its subscriber numbers are suffering without iPhone on offer, NTT DoCoMo continues to be staunchly pro-Android. The company remains wary of iPhone, citing Apple's closed platform (read: the inability to modify the OS) as its rationale.

[Via VentureBeat]