NTT DoCoMo Inc. replaced Softbank Corp. as the nation's top mobile-phone operator in terms of user additions last month, regaining the top ranking for the first time in three years.

DoCoMo, Japan's largest wireless carrier, added 143,600 users in July, 6,000 more than Softbank's 137,600 new subscribers in the period, according to statements from the companies Friday.

Softbank, which released Apple Inc.'s latest iPhone handset in June, dropped to second place after leading the ranking for 26 straight months. KDDI Corp., the second-biggest, led in terms of new subscribers for the nine months preceding that.

"The release of our summer models and lowering the minimum charge for data transmission contributed to boosting our sales," said Makiko Furuta, a spokeswoman for DoCoMo in Tokyo.

In May, DoCoMo slashed its minimum data charges to as low as ¥490 per month from ¥1,029 to bolster demand for data service as revenue from voice traffic slumps. The cheaper tariffs will trim operating profit by ¥40 billion this year, the company said in April.

The Aquos Shot handsets Sharp Corp. makes for DoCoMo sold the most in July, followed by Apple's new iPhone for Softbank users, according to BCN Inc., a Tokyo-based researcher.

DoCoMo aims to ship 1 million smart phones this year to capture half of the domestic market for the devices, which is projected to grow 31 percent to about 2 million units this year. It released a model run by Google Inc.'s Android operating system last month and also offers Research in Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry and mobile phones using Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Mobile software.

KDDI added 56,600 new users last month for a total of 31 million, the company said. DoCoMo had 55 million subscribers and Softbank 21.1 million.