Apple's iPhone was No. 1 smartphone in Japan in 2011 with 7.25M sold
Sales of the iPhone in Japan reached 7.25 million units in all of 2011, making Apple the top smartphone vendor in the country.
The data comes from a report issued by MM Research, translated by Macotakara on Thursday, which shows that Apple represented 30 percent of smartphone sales in Japan. Among all cell phones, including "feature" phones," Apple took 17 percent of the market.
Though Apple was the leading hardware vendor, Google's Android was the most popular mobile operating system platform among smartphones sold in Japan in 2011. Google's Android represented 69 percent, meaning that together, Google and Apple controlled a whopping 99 percent of smartphone sales by platform in Japan.
The latest numbers suggest that Apple's share of the smartphone market in Japan has grown since the end of 2011, when the company held a 26.6 percent share of the market. Apple's position in the country was dramatically boosted by the launch of the iPhone 4S.
iPhone sales may have received a boost locally after the release of iOS 5.1 in March. That software update brought Japanese-language support to Siri, Apple's personal assistant application available only on the iPhone 4S.
Japan has become an increasingly important part of Apple's business in recent years. During the company's quarterly earnings conference call in January, executives at Apple singled out Japan as having the largest overseas growth of any market during the holiday 2011 quarter. During that span, sales in Japan were up 148 percent.
A study released in March revealed that Apple is considered to be the top consumer brand in Japan. Apple beat out 999 other brands to take top honors in the Brand Japan 2012 survey conducted by Nikkei BP Consulting Inc.
The data comes from a report issued by MM Research, translated by Macotakara on Thursday, which shows that Apple represented 30 percent of smartphone sales in Japan. Among all cell phones, including "feature" phones," Apple took 17 percent of the market.
Though Apple was the leading hardware vendor, Google's Android was the most popular mobile operating system platform among smartphones sold in Japan in 2011. Google's Android represented 69 percent, meaning that together, Google and Apple controlled a whopping 99 percent of smartphone sales by platform in Japan.
The latest numbers suggest that Apple's share of the smartphone market in Japan has grown since the end of 2011, when the company held a 26.6 percent share of the market. Apple's position in the country was dramatically boosted by the launch of the iPhone 4S.
iPhone sales may have received a boost locally after the release of iOS 5.1 in March. That software update brought Japanese-language support to Siri, Apple's personal assistant application available only on the iPhone 4S.
Japan has become an increasingly important part of Apple's business in recent years. During the company's quarterly earnings conference call in January, executives at Apple singled out Japan as having the largest overseas growth of any market during the holiday 2011 quarter. During that span, sales in Japan were up 148 percent.
A study released in March revealed that Apple is considered to be the top consumer brand in Japan. Apple beat out 999 other brands to take top honors in the Brand Japan 2012 survey conducted by Nikkei BP Consulting Inc.
Comments
Remember 2007 and 2008 where no one thought Apple was going to make ANY kind of dent in Japan?
I wonder if the Japanese App Store has apps that tap into local networks to give the iPhone the features of standard Japanese phones. You know, the ability to buy things from vending machines with your phone, the ability to control volume of local projectors… all that neat stuff that people refuse to BUILD OUT HERE FOR WHATEVER IDIOTIC REASON.
As usual... iHaters, trolls, whiners...etc... where are you guys that were telling everyone that the iPhone would be a total failure in Japan?? Waiting... hmmm... room seems strangely quiet. I guess they are all at the diner down the road eating a big load of humble pie.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sflocal
I guess they are all at the diner down the road eating a big load of humble pie.
They finished that off a long time ago. They've moved onto their Ice Cream Sandwiches and are looking forward to their course of Jellybeans.
A man can get fat, betting against Apple. But not the right kind of fat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Remember 2007 and 2008 where no one thought Apple was going to make ANY kind of dent in Japan?
I wonder if the Japanese App Store has apps that tap into local networks to give the iPhone the features of standard Japanese phones. You know, the ability to buy things from vending machines with your phone, the ability to control volume of local projectors… all that neat stuff that people refuse to BUILD OUT HERE FOR WHATEVER IDIOTIC REASON.
and remember.. Japan phones are much more advanced than anyone else. Beside the iPhone is not waterproof and this means fail!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Remember 2007 and 2008 where no one thought Apple was going to make ANY kind of dent in Japan?
Which is precisely why we should pay no attention to trolls or analysts. But we do, don't we.
iPhone will be the No.1 sold device in 2012 in the U.S.. Thanks to the strategy apple has adopted with the Free iPhone 3GS, come october you can have the iPhone 4 16GB for free, iPhone 4S for $99... which is an amazing price for a bad-ass phone like that! Not to mention the 6th gen iPhone kicking ass in all departments.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
They finished that off a long time ago. They've moved onto their Ice Cream Sandwiches and are looking forward to their course of Jellybeans.
A man can get fat, betting against Apple. But not the right kind of fat.
Whoa... slow down! Many of them are still munching on their gingerbread!
They don't eat humble pie. The BB loving iHaters eat opportunity for breakfast.
So basically in 2011 their market share went up 3.3 %points even though KDDI had the iPhone just for the last quarter of the year. Back of the envelope says iPhone had over 40 % in Q4 2011. And that's without DoCoMo, who still controls over half of the phone market and only sells Android today. But the longer DoCoMo waits, the more customers they will lose to the 2 smaller carriers. Once Apple cracks DoCoMo, the iPhone will dominate Android in Japan by 70:30, not the other way around.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
Though Apple was the leading hardware vendor, Google's Android was the most popular mobile operating system platform among smartphones sold in Japan in 2011. Google's Android represented 69 percent, meaning that together, Google and Apple controlled a whopping 99 percent of smartphone sales by platform in Japan.
Same as the last market share stats announced: People pick Android phones more than 2 to 1 over iPhones.
Quote:
Originally Posted by superjunaid
iPhone will be the No.1 sold device in 2012 in the U.S.. Thanks to the strategy apple has adopted with the Free iPhone 3GS, come october you can have the iPhone 4 16GB for free, iPhone 4S for $99... which is an amazing price for a bad-ass phone like that! Not to mention the 6th gen iPhone kicking ass in all departments.
If Apple does what you suggest, I think that they will sell zillions of i4s and i4S's.
Phones are not advancing nearly as fast as they were a couple of years ago. Having an older design like the i4 is not nearly as much of a handicap as it once was.
Correct... and "Android phones" is made up of tons of models from a dozen different manufacturers.
This article is good news for Apple in Japan... which is a highly competitive mobile phone market... and one that people thought Apple would never have decent sales in.
Can't you be happy for Apple on this Apple forum?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Scrip
Can't you be happy for Apple on this Apple forum?
You obviously don't know who you're talking to.
Quote:
Originally Posted by reverie
So basically in 2011 their market share went up 3.3 %points even though KDDI had the iPhone just for the last quarter of the year. Back of the envelope says iPhone had over 40 % in Q4 2011. And that's without DoCoMo, who still controls over half of the phone market and only sells Android today. But the longer DoCoMo waits, the more customers they will lose to the 2 smaller carriers.
So true. My wife is from Japan (now a US citizen). She has 2 sisters in Japan. One got an iPhone 4 a year ago. She is on Softbank and was previously on Softbank with her feature phone. The other sister has been on DoCoMo for like a quadrillion years. A week ago she bought a KDDI au iPhone. She got tired of waiting (and in spite of her dream group Arashi pushing Android phones).
You walk in to Yodobashi Camera and there are a lot more accessories and stuff for the iPhone than all the Android phones put together. (At least there was last Sept when we were there). Riding the commuter trains and subways, I saw as many or more iPhones in use than Android phones. Non scientific, but it seems the people who actually use their phones in a "smartphone" way, and spend money, favor the iPhone side. (Kind of like with the App Store making developers almost an order of magnitude more money).
Quote:
Originally Posted by I am a Zither Zather Zuzz
Same as the last market share stats announced: People pick Android phones more than 2 to 1 over iPhones.
Are those 'sophisticated' or 'unsophisticated' buyers?
iPhone in Japan:
"If you don't have an iPhone, then you don't have an ichibanPhone."
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Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
You obviously don't know who you're talking to.
They need to avail themselves of the wonderful "Block Member" feature.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpamSandwich
They need to avail themselves of the wonderful "Block Member" feature.
You mean the 'Block Blockhead' feature.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NasserAE
and remember.. Japan phones are much more advanced than anyone else. Beside the iPhone is not waterproof and this means fail!
Actually it was their service that was way more advanced, they were video conferencing with feature phones years ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt0iD3_WI_Q
Quote:
Originally Posted by GTR
Quote:
Originally Posted by I am a Zither Zather Zuzz
Same as the last market share stats announced: People pick Android phones more than 2 to 1 over iPhones.
Are those 'sophisticated' or 'unsophisticated' buyers?
Both.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Remember 2007 and 2008 where no one thought Apple was going to make ANY kind of dent in Japan?
I wonder if the Japanese App Store has apps that tap into local networks to give the iPhone the features of standard Japanese phones. You know, the ability to buy things from vending machines with your phone, the ability to control volume of local projectors… all that neat stuff that people refuse to BUILD OUT HERE FOR WHATEVER IDIOTIC REASON.
Its funny to see VZW commercials showing people controlling their homes with their cell phones meanwhile that was being done overseas for about 10 yrs now, and making purchases with their phones since 2007.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0f3hGYW4R4&feature=endscreen
I'm sure there's be DoCoMo specific apps to do stuff we'll be doing in 5-10 years.