Akihabara News (Tokyo) — SoftBank has become the first major operator to unroll consumer 5G mobile services in Japan, with the network launch planned for March 27.
SoftBank is launching new products and services to take full advantage of 5G speed and capacity.
For example, SoftBank will begin offering 5G compatible smartphones, starting March 27. The initial four models will be the Aquos R5G by Sharp, the ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G, the LG V60 ThinQ 5G, and the Oppo Reno3 5G.
Preinstalled on these smartphones will be 5G Lab apps, a new SoftBank content service. 5G Lab is comprised of four categories: AR Square, which will offer Augmented Reality experiences; VR Square, which will deliver Virtual Reality experiences; FR Square, which will provide Free-viewpoint Reality experiences; and Game Square, a cloud gaming service based on Nvidia’s GeForce Now. The latter is slated to launch in June.
SoftBank launched a series of 30-second promotional videos today, including this one.
To get the program rolling, SoftBank is offering to waive the monthly ¥1,000 5G Basic Fee for those who sign up by August 31, 2020.