The Japanese mobile phone market - frequently cited as among the world's most sophisticated – has finally fallen victim to the march of Apple after a study revealed the iPhone dominating there.
Research by Japanese publisher Impress shows the iPhone claiming close to half the entire market there for smartphones in 2009 to date.
Windows on the slide
The 3G and 3GS models combined to take 46.1 per cent of handset sales at the high end of the market. That has had the effect of knocking previously popular Windows Mobile models down the list.
However, the fact that the list of trailing devices includes just a handful of Windows handsets, one Android phone and one BlackBerry emphasises that the smartphone market in Japan is not a deep one.
Traditional models
In spite of the iPhone's success, it still remains true that most Japanese consumers are using locally produced 3G phones that adhere to the traditional menu-driven (as opposed to app-driven) model.
Of course, that could change if leading manufacturers like Sharp and Panasonic change their approach significantly, or if the Google Nexus One makes any impact in 2010.
Your comments (3) Click to add a new comment
watcherzero
December 19th 2009
3. It sold something like 200,000 iPhones in a year, The japanese mobile market is 5m phones a month (100m in use). It really is a small amount
Alert a moderator
geosync
December 19th 2009
2. 50% of Japans smartphone market is still nothing compared to the larger feature phone market. And you can kind of see why. 8-15 megapixel cameras, true tv tuners, true adobe flash support( like 3 years ago) and very attractive devices. If you compare an average smartphone here to a feature phone there , you have to ask what are we really getting that they arnt? Bigger screens and extenable functionality through 3rd party software can be very powerfull but when their base features ttoaly overshadow ours, we need 3rd pary software support just catch up.
Alert a moderator
mcdragon
December 19th 2009
1. Wait a minute. I distinctly remember an article somewhere describing the iPhone in Japan being a flop. It was unpopular and uncool to the Japanese. I think it might have even been on BBC's Click.
Alert a moderator
Tell us what you think
You need to Log in or register to post comments