n January, Vodafone Japan said it would miss its annual sales target because of delays in rolling out new 3G handsets. Meanwhile, its two rivals are set to release new 3G phones this spring, while Vodafone's next 3G release isn't likely before the summer. Unimpressed shoppers complain that Vodafone's current 3G handsets -- especially those made by foreign manufacturers such as Nokia Corp. (NOK ) and Motorola Inc. (MOT ) -- don't look cool, and lack the functions of rivals' models. By contrast, the latest DoCoMo phones, all from Japanese vendors, can be used to pay for groceries at convenience stores, while KDDI Corp. customers have downloaded 2 million songs to their handsets in recent months. Vodafone falls short largely because it has tried to introduce a uniform suite of handsets and services worldwide rather than customizing them for Japan. "People here don't want what people in Glasgow want," says Gerhard Fasol, chief executive of Eurotechnology Japan, a Tokyo consultancy.
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