Softbank wins most net users for 16th month in Aug

TOKYO, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Softbank Corp (9984.T), Japan's third-biggest mobile phone operator, added more users than its rivals on a net basis in August for the 16th straight month, but data suggested momentum from the iPhone launch has slowed.

The debut of Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) much-hyped iPhone boosted Softbank subscriptions in July, but the company said on Friday that net additions settled down to the pre-launch level of 163,300 in August. In July, it added a net 215,400 users.

Industry leader NTT DoCoMo (9437.T) said it added a net 84,400 users in August. Second-ranked KDDI Corp (9433.T) gained 54,900 subscribers on a net basis last month while eAccess (9427.T), Japan's No. 4 player, added 84,300.

Softbank introduced the iPhone 3G on July 11 as part of its global launch. DoCoMo had sought to be the first carrier to sell it in Japan, but Softbank snatched the rights and attracted a rush of buyers to its shops in the first few weeks after its debut. (Reporting by Sachi Izumi; Editing by Chris Gallagher)