Apple's iPad Air, iPad mini take 6 of Japan's top 10 tablet sales spots
During its first month on the market, Apple's iPad Air has taken four of Japan's top ten tablet slots while iPad mini has taken two additional spots, giving Apple 60 percent of the sales charts.
Monthly sales rankings for November by Japan's BCN list the 16GB iPad Air as the nation's the top selling tablet, with the 16GB iPad mini taking the second spot.
BCN's smartphone rankings similarly depicted Apple's iPhone 5s and 5c as trampling competitors' offerings in the phone market during the same month.
In July, Google launched a new version of the Nexus 7 at an event where its new Android chief Sundar Pichai claimed the previous Nexus 7 model had been Japan's most popular tablet last winter, outselling Apple's iPad mini.
However, those numbers came solely from BCN, which only counts sales from 2,400 stores in Japan representing just 16 percent of the sales channel, and does not include sales from the Apple Store. IDC disputed the figures, saying that Apple had shipped about 773K iPad units versus about 350K Nexus 7 units for Asus.
Currently, Apple maintains a similar 60 percent representation across BCN's top 20 tablets, with total of 12 different iPad models. Along with Nexus 7, Asus sells three self-branded devices while NEC sells a tablet for just $170 within the top 20. That NEC model is being outsold by a high end 128GB iPad Air that costs $799.
Complicating Samsung's efforts to sell its products in Japan is an unfavorable view of South Korea related to a territorial dispute over islands located between the two nations, a squabble that has been escalating for years.
In 2011, Japan's foreign ministry instructed its staffers not fly with Korean Air. The two countries have long maintained a rivalry. In stark contrast, modern Japan has long viewed America more favorably, with a particular affinity for Apple and in particular Steve Jobs.
Monthly sales rankings for November by Japan's BCN list the 16GB iPad Air as the nation's the top selling tablet, with the 16GB iPad mini taking the second spot.
BCN's smartphone rankings similarly depicted Apple's iPhone 5s and 5c as trampling competitors' offerings in the phone market during the same month.
Nexus 7 most popular non-iPad tablet
Apple's domination of the top ten comes despite competition from Google's significantly cheaper Asus-built Nexus 7, which sells for between $234 and $393. iPad models in Japan's top ten sell for between $314 and $719.In July, Google launched a new version of the Nexus 7 at an event where its new Android chief Sundar Pichai claimed the previous Nexus 7 model had been Japan's most popular tablet last winter, outselling Apple's iPad mini.
However, those numbers came solely from BCN, which only counts sales from 2,400 stores in Japan representing just 16 percent of the sales channel, and does not include sales from the Apple Store. IDC disputed the figures, saying that Apple had shipped about 773K iPad units versus about 350K Nexus 7 units for Asus.
Currently, Apple maintains a similar 60 percent representation across BCN's top 20 tablets, with total of 12 different iPad models. Along with Nexus 7, Asus sells three self-branded devices while NEC sells a tablet for just $170 within the top 20. That NEC model is being outsold by a high end 128GB iPad Air that costs $799.
Japan doesn't love Samsung
Despite being a distant second to Apple in worldwide tablet shipments, Samsung doesn't have a top selling tablet in Japan anywhere in the top 50.Complicating Samsung's efforts to sell its products in Japan is an unfavorable view of South Korea related to a territorial dispute over islands located between the two nations, a squabble that has been escalating for years.
In 2011, Japan's foreign ministry instructed its staffers not fly with Korean Air. The two countries have long maintained a rivalry. In stark contrast, modern Japan has long viewed America more favorably, with a particular affinity for Apple and in particular Steve Jobs.
Comments
- iPad Christmas
It's even more impressive when you realise the rankings break down the iPad models by colour.
That's what I was going to point out - if you combined the colors for the same models, iPads would probably control the entire top 5, maybe more. Also, I'd like to see raw numbers - combining colors as well as lines (all iPad Airs of every storage option, etc) it would be stark . . .
Impressive.
But Apple success in Japan is not so a surprise.
Apple marries perfectly the Northern European and Japanese aesthetics.
See the parallel with Apple and Samsung?
Japanese companies at least are mature enough to innovate and develop their own products. Only the more mature Korean companies innovate and develop their own products. The others simply copy.
Impressive.
But Apple success in Japan is not so a surprise.
Apple marries perfectly the Northern European and Japanese aesthetics.
Agreed, and good points. But it wasn't too long ago pundits were saying Apple didn't have a chance in Japan b/c the iPhone didn't do emoticons or TV.
How lame that all seems now!
Similar to the iMac's have a glass "glossy" screen, or the MBA/iPhones don't have replaceable batteries, or, Ugh, iMacs/MBP's don't have physical media players built in, etc, etc. or Apple doesn't make a 17" MBP (like carrying around your own tombstone!)
... Similar to the iMac's have a glass "glossy" screen, or the MBA/iPhones don't have replaceable batteries, or, ...
I'm usually very understandable with most critics on Apple's products. They have good reasons. But I also think that Apple knows what they are offering/doing. The non replacable batteries in iPods have been a big thing back then. Does anybody still care??? What you gain (in great battery life, less weight/thickness) is usually more than what you give up.
Tim put it right, we (the customers) are paying Apple to make those decisions. Thus far they have been making good decisions - also for the japanese market it seems.
(same goes for screen size with the iPhone but I better not start THAT arguement here again)
Amazon is flogging cheap fondleslabs but what % of the buying public want to be forced to watch commercials to save money? Once you pay full fare to not watch commercial, the price difference isn't so great.
Android does not present a fully consistent experience across platforms and brands, certainly not in the same way Windows PCs did when they dominated the tech landscape.
Where's the Google Store in my local mall with the vast ecosystem of accessories and free in-person lifetime support ? Oh, it's [I][URL=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_barges]on a boat[/URL][/I]? No thanks.
When a $1200 Mac was competing against a $600 Windows PC, the PC won.
Now that a $400 iPad mini retina is competing against a $199 or $249 Android / Kindle, it's the infrastructure / apps, not the price. If you're so cheap that a $150 price difference is your deciding factor, well, you'll get what you pay for. Have fun.
The best part of buying the iPad mini retina was syncing it to my Mac to load up my apps with virtually no hassle at all.
I don't really care what the Android or Amazon "experience" is, I've been doing this since iPhone 3G with very few glitches.
To quote one of my favorite bands of the 70s, "Life is good in the greenhouse. Rather be a plant than be your Mickey Mouse."
[VIDEO]
but, but, but, ..... iPads are overpriced and Nexus has better display resolution.../s
Going to Akihabara or Nishi Shijuku (heart of Tokyo business) and you see they have store in every corner. Another big one is Bic Canera (now a day is just Bic Store) they are the head wind of all new consumer tech sales outlet.