Google's Nexus 7 outsells Apple's iPad in Japan over holidays
Sales of the ASUS-made Nexus 7 beat out Apple's entire tablet lineup in Japan in December, displacing the dominant iPad from the number one spot for the first time since its launch in 2010, says one market research firm.
According to data released on Thursday by BCN, Google's Nexus 7 outperformed Apple's iPad in Japan over the lucrative holiday season, with the firm citing price as a driving factor behind shift, reports the Nikkei (via CNET).
A survey of 2,400 electronic stores across the country showed the Nexus 7 captured 44.4 percent of the market in December, while Apple's share came in at 40.1 percent. The firm noted that the iPad has been the top-selling tablet in Japan since its launch in 2010. Devices made by domestic companies like Sony and Fujitsu accounted for only two to three percent of sales over the same period.
Apple started 2012 with a Japanese market share of just under 50 percent ,which rose to a peak of about 70 percent when the fourth-generation iPad was released in March. ASUS's share, meanwhile, remained at less than 10 percent until the Nexus 7 debuted in September, when the company's marketshare skyrocketed to almost 40 percent within one month. The November launch of the iPad mini tamped down Nexus 7 demand, but lack of inventory due to supply chain issues caused the Apple tablet to see a decline in sales during December.
Cost was also major player in the Nexus 7's market growth, the report said. In Japan, the tablet is priced at 19,800 yen (about $224) for a 16-gigabyte model, or $100 less than a comparable iPad mini which sells for 28,800 yen (about $326).
The publication cited an IDC Japan report that estimated some 3.6 million tablets were sold in December, nearly tripling sales during the same period in 2011. That number is expected to rise to 4.9 million units in 2013 as tablets are seen as being one of the few consumer electronics segments to grow this year.
According to data released on Thursday by BCN, Google's Nexus 7 outperformed Apple's iPad in Japan over the lucrative holiday season, with the firm citing price as a driving factor behind shift, reports the Nikkei (via CNET).
A survey of 2,400 electronic stores across the country showed the Nexus 7 captured 44.4 percent of the market in December, while Apple's share came in at 40.1 percent. The firm noted that the iPad has been the top-selling tablet in Japan since its launch in 2010. Devices made by domestic companies like Sony and Fujitsu accounted for only two to three percent of sales over the same period.
Apple started 2012 with a Japanese market share of just under 50 percent ,which rose to a peak of about 70 percent when the fourth-generation iPad was released in March. ASUS's share, meanwhile, remained at less than 10 percent until the Nexus 7 debuted in September, when the company's marketshare skyrocketed to almost 40 percent within one month. The November launch of the iPad mini tamped down Nexus 7 demand, but lack of inventory due to supply chain issues caused the Apple tablet to see a decline in sales during December.
Cost was also major player in the Nexus 7's market growth, the report said. In Japan, the tablet is priced at 19,800 yen (about $224) for a 16-gigabyte model, or $100 less than a comparable iPad mini which sells for 28,800 yen (about $326).
The publication cited an IDC Japan report that estimated some 3.6 million tablets were sold in December, nearly tripling sales during the same period in 2011. That number is expected to rise to 4.9 million units in 2013 as tablets are seen as being one of the few consumer electronics segments to grow this year.
Comments
Which tablets are being used and generate more internet traffic?
1. Their hands are too small to hold the iPad with one hand anyway
2. It's only a 4.3 percent difference
3. Japanese aren't as patriotic as the Americans
4. Does the survey account for returns as well
5. See, no Samsung sold here
and so on and so forth. I just wonder if price is the main factor, and how long it will take for a 2nd report from an analyst saying the numbers in this survey are way off.
ASUS is another of Google pawns. Why on God are these OEMs doing these Nexus deals at cost? Google completely devalued the Android tablet space with this launch. ASUS and Samsung are either way too shortsighted or too F***** dumb to see what is happening
Desperate companies buying market share only backfire.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilBoogie
1. Their hands are too small to hold the iPad with one hand anyway
2. It's only a 4.3 percent difference
3. Japanese aren't as patriotic as the Americans
4. Does the survey account for returns as well
5. See, no Samsung sold here
and so on and so forth. I just wonder if price is the main factor, and how long it will take for a 2nd report from an analyst saying the numbers in this survey are way off.
The iPad mini didn't start shipping until Nov, so the Nexus 7 had a month longer, plus was the cellular version even allowed to ship?
Some people don't read each word or write each word of the actual situation, but when the iPad mini started shipping, the article says it slowed the Nexus 7 sales.
I will say that in the article's picture [I]tategaki[/I] may be a better read on a 16:9 display than on a 4:3 display. Any Japanese readers (or those that read other vertical languages) want to comment?
And Windows PCs outsells Macs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
Looks promising for Google if those figures are accurate. Does Google actually make a profit on a Nexus 7 sale?
I will say that in the article's picture tategaki may be a better read on a 16:9 display than on a 4:3 display. Any Japanese readers (or those that read other vertical languages) want to comment?
The Nexus 7 has a 7" diagonal 16:9 display, while the iPad Mini has a 7.9" diagonal 4:3. Even assuming the two were both 7" or 7.9" for direct comparison, the gain in terms of vertical space would come at the expense of horizontal space. So essentially, think of it as if you were reading any Latin alphabet language in landscape mode. Would you rather have more words per line and less lines per page? Or less words per individual line and more lines per page?
If this trend keeps going, Apple will lose someday. You can see those in smart phone market already. I think it's actually late for Apple to change their tactic to persuade more people to Apple's devices.
I like Apple's. However, people should not close their eyes to the real world. Not so many people can see the considerate behavior of Apple's UI and underlying systems.
Also, some companies with lots of cash intentionally throws their devices to the market without virtually any profit. by distributing that way, once they become dominant in market share, S/W companies, H/W accessory companies will start to make products for those devices. Then, the company's influence becomes huge and they can make money due to that.
Although it's good to love a company, Apple, but Apple fans should worry about this trend. It happened before even in Apple's history and in many other sector of industry.
Just praising Apple blindly doesn't help anything.
I'm assuming that the majority of iPads would be sold from Apple stores in Japan, am I wrong?
Did that market research firm just walk into various Apple stores and say, excuse me, I'd like to speak with the manager, because I need to know exactly how many iPads you have sold over the holidays? And did the Apple store managers just gladly hand over that confidential information?
Something about this story just doesn't jive.
I'm not doubting that the no profit or very little profit Nexus 7 did sell a few units, since it is fairly cheap, and for certain people, price is the main motivating factor behind their purchasing decision, but I am questioning how the market research firm obtains their figures, especially the number of iPads sold.
None of that answers my question. It can not be answered simply by looking at a horizontal language on a 16:9 display. There are many factors involved that include but not limited to biology and culture. Since I don't read any vertical Asiatic language I simply can't answer that question by looking at what I know as natural and comfortable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
Looks promising for Google if those figures are accurate. Does Google actually make a profit on a Nexus 7 sale?
I will say that in the article's picture tategaki may be a better read on a 16:9 display than on a 4:3 display. Any Japanese readers (or those that read other vertical languages) want to comment?
Japanese is rarely ever written now vertically. Japanese is written and read from left to right just like English. You only see it when reading old classical literature or poems. And yes, I speak Japanese fluently, although my written Kanji and grammar are very rusty.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
None of that answers my question. It can not be answered simply by looking at a horizontal language on a 16:9 display. There are many factors involved that include but not limited to biology and culture. Since I don't read any vertical Asiatic language I simply can't answer that question by looking at what I know as natural and comfortable.
I was trying to couch things in terms directly applicable to you so that you could see things from your own perspective and realize that it is - to a degree - personal preference. But if we want to speak purely in terms of broad Japanese societal trends and such, I do read (and speak) Japanese. The short answers is no. Chinese is about the only language where they have long lines that scroll downward, and your theory might possibly apply. If a company wanted to cater to the reading habits of the Japanese? They'd abandon the 4:3 display ratio and go with either 4:5 or possibly even a square display.
1) So Apple flipped the cellphone industry on its head 6 years ago and yet still, after 6 years, makes 75$% of the profits, is still growing and yet you claim you can see them losing right now? Really?¡
2) Sure, companies sell loss leaders to get market share but Apple has a significant hold of their market and is making considerable profit. They will likely falter as all thing eventually come to an end but you just sound like you're wishing it to be true when there is no evidence they are dying. They also have all the mindshare in all their markets. What is mindshare? It's what other companies pay billions a year for to get a fraction of what Apple gets without trying. Samsung is besting other Android-based vendors with over a billion a year on advertising but they aren't even close to Apple. So we have Apple with the best marketing at the lowest cost, the best phone with the lowest TCO due to the resale value, and the most customers for a smartphone per model. So where exactly is Apple trending down?
Thanks for the reply. I'd think structure would have a lot to do with it so I agree with your hypothesis that a language that requires longer lines might find 16:9 more beneficial.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
Thanks for the reply. I'd think structure would have a lot to do with it so I agree with your hypothesis that a language that requires longer lines might find 16:9 more beneficial.
Even in Chinese, though, the problem boils down to the "Western in landscape" problem. If there's a 7" 16:9 and a 7" 4:3, that extra length comes at the expense of width and decreases the number of visible lines in exchange for providing more words per line. To correct, they'd need to counter their opponent's offerings with a tablet that's actually larger than 7" so that they match the width while still providing extra length. That would increase costs and therefore cut into the profit margins of the 16:9 tablet's company if it was matching the price of the 4:3 tablet's company as part of most non-Apple companies' "race to the bottom" strategy with tablets.
All that being said, if one of these goes on sale for dirt cheap? I'll probably get it for my brother to redress as a prop for a handful of different sci-fi cosplays because a number of alien races across several genres use vertical writing and long strings of alien characters do look slightly more impressive than shorter clumps.
The original Nikkei article seems indicate that the survey only includes large department stores.
Nobody buys iPads from Apple Stores these days right?
Journalism is a joke these days. Murdoch and his mad pack of bum boys fingers are everywhere to distort reality into their contrived view or that of their advertisers. Sick, sad and really needs some higher power to slap em round a bit.
This seems to me just another anti Apple piece of crap journo - no real sources. No real sales figures - meh no real nada. Similar to the pre release iPhone 5 stats that heralded the demise of Apple. Just BS