iPhone Snags 60% of Japanese Smartphone Market

[mavis]

Though as my wife pointed out, the "dumb" flip phones will remain king in Japan partly because they're "smart" enough, but MAINLY because people can type SMS or E-Mail messages quicker using the numeric keypad and WITHOUT HAVING TO LOOK AT THE SCREEN TO TYPE.

No offense, but your wife is wrong on both counts. 1) The "dumb" flip phones will not be king forever and 2) nobody actually types without looking at the screen (although that was a popular argument two years ago when the iPhone 3G was released here). I mean, think about it: kanji conversion. In my ten years living here, I've not seen a single person send an SMS/email without having to look at their screen. Not once.

 

[Tres]

日本のルールは、あなたがよだれを垂らす。

And this ladies and gentleman is the perfect example of why you shouldn't use automatic translators in an attempt to be a smart-ass.

I guess you were trying to say "Japan rules, you drool", but thanks to the magic of babelfish/google translate <insert other worthless automatic translator here>, it reads as "Japan's rule is that you drool"

 

[japanime]

It's possible to get a free iPhone4 when signing a two-year contract with Softbank. It's tough to walk away from such a great deal. So, it's not surprising the market share is so high.

 

[CFreymarc]

I think the Smartphone market in Japan is a bit confusing. The typical phone in Japan has many features a typical smartphone has, but yet is considered a regular phone. And they have for years. So I'm not sure what this article really means, but I think it's good.
Not sure.

The Japanese domestic consumer electronics market is totally psychotic to the point of some product releases having a shelf life of only a month. I loved doing a few days in Akihabara in Tokyo just to see what is up. You have everything from multi-story stores to little side alley store of less the 500 square feet in size.

I would not be surprised of the idea for the iPod Touch with no carrier contract came out of the Japanese market. For whatever reason in the old Palm star-chamber, when they went Treo, they refused to come out with a model that was WiFi only and no carrier contract. That REALLY hurt them.

If you haven't seen a Japanese version of the iPhone, do so. It is worth the experience.

 

[kdarling]

Does anyone know what phones they're talking about?

The last several times they put out this info, they were comparing against one HTC phone and one RIM phone.

The iPhone didn't sell very well in Japan (only about 500K over 8 months) at first. It was only after Softbank began giving them away for free with a two year contract, that they took off. I believe that quintupled its ownership pretty quickly.

Q: What works even better than Buy One - Get One free?

A: Getting the first one Free!

 

[RobinHo0d]

And this ladies and gentleman is the perfect example of why you shouldn't use automatic translators in an attempt to be a smart-ass.

I guess you were trying to say "Japan rules, you drool", but thanks to the magic of babelfish/google translate <insert other worthless automatic translator here>, it reads as "Japan's rule is that you drool"

Oh you're a winner.

 

[Tres]

Oh you're a winner.

Yeah, I guess it makes me a huge loser to have spent years studying a language as opposed to trying to impress(?) people by typing something stupid in an automatic translator and copying it to a message board.

 

[RobinHo0d]

Yeah, I guess it makes me a huge loser to have spent years studying a language as opposed to trying to impress(?) people by typing something stupid in an automatic translator and copying it to a message board.

Dude it was a joke OBVIOUSLY. + it had nothing to do with you so I don't know why you quoted me.

Someone hurt your feelings today or something ?

 

[TheMacBookPro]

Just watched some youtube videos on the 945SH. I can tell you why it doesn't sell.

1. It's ugly.
2. The market is moving away from clamshell numpad phones.
3. It's twice as thick as the 4.
4. It's slow. Particularly in the after picture shot moment.

1. In what way? Yeah it's long- the Japanese want a large keypad to quickly type out characters. As for styling- are you talking about the camera area? The large sensor and the IR port are all located within the camera's black ring. I find it rather nice- looks like a real camera. Ugly = your opinion.
2. Not in Japan. They need large keypads to smash out characters. Sharp isn't moving away from the long clamshell design any time soon [in Japan]. They would lose all marketshare if they did.
3. ...and? Try adding a keypad to the 4 and see how thick it is And, as previously stated, keypads are important in the Japanese market.
4. 12.1MP images tend to be rather large and thus, lag. Keep in mind that this is a 'dumb'phone, not a smartone.

The 945SH (and equivalent models from docomo and au) are selling just fine. Nobody said that it isn't selling. However, the Winter lineup is coming in a month [which is resulting is slightly lower sales]. See how well the iPhones sell in May? Not well, since everyone knows a new model is coming.

The 950SH/SH-01C or w/e the new Aquos Shot phones will be called will sell well for the first few months, then as the Summer lineup approaches sales will drop again. Based on facts from the past 2 years anyways.

I'll be upgrading from my 940SH to the 950 when that comes out.

@all Keep in mind that the Japanese smartphone market is still small [compared to the number of total phone users]. Most use 'dumb'phones (they look at the camera, screen size, etc not how fast the proc is or how many apps they can install).

 

[ikeywah]

The point is...

No offense, but your wife is wrong on both counts. 1) The "dumb" flip phones will not be king forever and 2) nobody actually types without looking at the screen (although that was a popular argument two years ago when the iPhone 3G was released here). I mean, think about it: kanji conversion. In my ten years living here, I've not seen a single person send an SMS/email without having to look at their screen. Not once.

I think he meant without looking at the keypad.
Of course they check what they're writing after the kanji henkan.
I find it easier to write in Japanese on a keypad than on an iPhone. I wish it wasn't but it is.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

I think he meant without looking at the keypad.
Of course they check what they're writing after the kanji henkan.
I find it easier to write in Japanese on a keypad than on an iPhone. I wish it wasn't but it is.

I find the iPhone is faster, because you can choose the keypad layout but press and slide instead of doing multiple presses to get the right kana. However, some people don't realize you can do that.

 

[dona83]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B117 Safari/6531.22.7)

Japanese typically don't buy smartphones as tge domestic regular phones have alot of features they're look for so this is encouraging.

 

[aristotle]

I am sick and tired of these Japanese technology fanboys thinking that Japanese technology is superior when they probably never even visited Japan.

It is a myth. Japanese technology is no longer ahead of the rest of the world. Those "smart" dumb phones still are stuck on the "dumb" internet called i-mode which is basically a slightly less sucky WAP internet but still a walled garden and not the real internet. The Japanese have recognized the advantages of actual smart phones with actual internet access and the flexibility of the touch screen interface.

Japanese phones suck.

 

[gammamonk]

I find the iPhone is faster, because you can choose the keypad layout but press and slide instead of doing multiple presses to get the right kana. However, some people don't realize you can do that.

You just blew my mind. I've been tapping like you do on phones. Press and slide is going to take some practice, but it looks like it will be fast! Thanks!

 

[NT1440]

Say what?

Most of the crazy phones you see in Japan are what are referred to here as "feature phones"...except their features are more advanced than in our current ones.

 

[pika2000]

Though as my wife pointed out, the "dumb" flip phones will remain king in Japan partly because they're "smart" enough, but MAINLY because people can type SMS or E-Mail messages quicker using the numeric keypad and WITHOUT HAVING TO LOOK AT THE SCREEN TO TYPE.

That, and also those flip phones are available in multitude of colors (while Apple is still having a hard-time simply making white iPhone 4). Oh, and they have built-in hole for straps.

 

[pika2000]

If you haven't seen a Japanese version of the iPhone, do so. It is worth the experience.

Errr, it's the same iPhone. Simply change your iPhone language to Japanese, and you have a "Japanese versions of the iPhone." Unlike other OEMs, Apple products around the world are basically the same (with some exceptions).

 

[CFreymarc]

Errr, it's the same iPhone. Simply change your iPhone language to Japanese, and you have a "Japanese versions of the iPhone." Unlike other OEMs, Apple products around the world are basically the same (with some exceptions).

Yes you can do that but not many are willing to even though it is technically possible.

 

[MrInkei]

I've lived in Japan for almost 15 years now, and I own an iPhone 4. I didn't buy it because I wanted an iPhone actually. My previous phone was a smart phone, HTC Titan II (eMobile Monster), but it was getting long in the tooth and my contract was almost up. I was actually looking to get an Android phone, but the Android phone market in Japan is no where close to what you can get in the US. So I decided to get an iPhone 4 while I waited for Android and the Japanese smart phone market to mature. Also, Softbank has the worst signal reception of the big 3 carriers so I was put off by having to switch to Softbank.

iPhone market share in Japan is mainly due to the Apple brand image, but even with that positive image, Softbank initially had a very difficult time moving iPhones. It wasn't until Apple decided to heavily subsidize iPhones (I will end up paying less than $100 dollars at the end of my 2-year contract for the phone itself). Compounding this, was the dearth of real smart phones in Japan at the time with apps (Willcom and HTC's devices were WinMo 6.x based).

Now that NTT Docomo has the SE Xperia X10 (and will be releasing the Galaxy S shortly) and AU (KDDI) has the Sharp ISO3, the smart phone market landscape will be changing. I take a 1-hour train ride to work and I've seen just as many Xperias as I have seen iPhone4s. And now that Docomo is wrapping up it's LTE experiments in Tokyo
http://www.mobileburn.com/news.jsp?Id=9662
and KDDI will be partnering with UQ Wi-Max, 4g is just around the corner and we will see if Apple will be slow to adopt 4g like they were with the 3g.

Anyways, I do, in fact, like my iPhone for it's non-phone features. It's a great iPod as well as great for Internet surfing. Also, I like the industrial stainless steel and glass design. But if this phone ever gets made, I'm switching in a heartbeat:
http://designfabulous.blogspot.com/2010/07/htc-1.html

 

[NebulaClash]

But, but, but, this is impossible! Why, we all know this cannot be because Wired told me last year that the Japanese hate the iphone.

 

[BBCWatcher]

Those "smart" dumb phones still are stuck on the "dumb" internet called i-mode which is basically a slightly less sucky WAP internet but still a walled garden and not the real internet. The Japanese have recognized the advantages of actual smart phones with actual internet access and the flexibility of the touch screen interface.

Not true. Many (most?) phones have a full browser. My keitai in 2006 had that, along with stuff like support for reading office suite and PDF documents. Full Web browsing isn't new to Japanese mobile phones.

There's a long list of features that Japanese keitai (mobile phones) have that the iPhone doesn't. A couple examples are support for QR code, Suica/Felica, and one-seg.

QR code is a form of barcode that can be printed in magazines, newspapers, on billboards (aboard trains, for example), and so on. Point your phone at the QR code, press a button to scan, and you instantly have all the relevant information (phone number, Web address, e-mail address, etc.) (Yes, there are some iPhone apps that can process QR code using the camera and usually some remote processing, but that's crude in comparison and costs extra.)

Suica, Felica, etc. are contactless payment cards embedded in the phones. Stop by the convenience store, wave your phone at the register, and you've paid for your Pocari (or whatever). Same with entering train stations.

One-seg is the free mobile digital television service. It doesn't work underground, but it does work aboard above-ground commuter trains and (of course) while stationary. You can watch your favorite baseball game, for example, free. (Initially the mobile carriers resisted implementing this feature since it wasn't a revenue generator, but now it's quite common.)

The iPhone supports none of these features, and many Japanese like them and want them.

I also agree with the other posters explaining that dedicated keypads work very well for Japanese text entry. It just takes longer to enter Japanese text on an iPhone soft keyboard.

This is going to sound silly, but it really is true: Japanese keitai have a place to attach straps. The straps are fashion accessories for both men and women, and they're very important. The iPhone doesn't have that, so it's not very convenient to attach straps with all those little bits of jewelry and other things.

And I could go on and on. The Japanese mobile phone market is quite special and different.

 

[sushi]

I loved doing a few days in Akihabara in Tokyo just to see what is up.

I must admit, that I do enjoy living in Japan.

If you haven't seen a Japanese version of the iPhone, do so. It is worth the experience.

I'm confused by your comment. What do you mean?

There's a long list of features that Japanese keitai (mobile phones) have that the iPhone doesn't.

<snip good info>

The Japanese mobile phone market is quite special and different.

Very true.

I had DoCoMo for well over 10 years before changing to Softbank because of the iPhone. It was a hard decision for me to give up DoCoMo. Coverage is one area that DoCoMo is head and shoulders above the others.

Reminds me of the current Pocket MiFi/WiFi/etc. devices that are out. Softbank and E-mobile for example have detailed maps of their coverage area. DoCoMo, on the other hand, with it's new entry into the market just states 100% coverage. That in itself is a huge selling point.

 

[koobcamuk]

The posts from TheMacBookPro and BBCWatcher really were nice to read. It's good to know that it's possible for people to know what they are talking about around here

Japan really is a very different market, for the reasons both posters pointed out. I'm moving to Japan in January, and I will be selling my iPhone 4 I use in the UK currently, and I will be buying whatever new Docomo or Softbank (not decided yet though maybe Docomo) phone there is with a 10MP+ CCD sensor so I don't have to take my DSLR everywhere with me.

Flip phones are popular - touch screen typing in Japanese is rather painful. Anyone that does it on the iPhone will know it's quite fiddly really. The large buttons on flip phones are easy to use, and don't impact on the gorgeous screens donning most keitai these days.

Flip phones also protect the screen, and mobile phone straps and charms are hugely popular in Japan. The iPhone is certainly popular, but there is a place for the (arguably) smarter looking keitai and the more internet driven iPhone. There's no decent QR reader for the iPhone, no saifu keitai and no 1seg TV. These are all things I will at least use daily when I move to Tokyo

皆様、よろしくお願いします！

 

[Angel baby]

The fact is that iPhone is really hot in Asia counties! In my country, for example, nearly every popular stars have iPhones.

 

[MrInkei]

If you want the benefits of an iPhone (apps, retina display), but the functionality of a Japanese feature phone (albeit somewhat ugly) there's http://www.coated.com/sharp-iso3-android-phone-1004201010/

But then again, you'd have to like Android 2.1 as well.