IPhone commands 60% of Japan's Smartphone Market(mobilecrunch.com)

15 pointsby anderzolevor 16 Jahren15 comments

IPhone commands 60% of Japan's Smartphone Market

http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2010/10/28/report-iphone-commands-60-of-japans-smartphone-market-7-overall/

4 comments

masklinnvor 16 Jahren

I don't think this chart makes much sense: if you compare them to the phones generally sold in the west, the dumbest japanese keitai is already a smartphone much more than a "feature phone": it can surf the web (iMode & such, including Flash movies), playback movies, watch TV, send and receive mail, serve as wallet, mass transport pass and identity card, video call, do GPS navigation, handle calendars, address books, memo pads, etc...

aphexairlinesvor 16 Jahren

Japanese phones can surf hacker news maybe (after printing out all of the javascript source to screen) but the rest of the web is sort of illegible on those browsers.

Video calls work, sure. For 75.6 yen (US$0.93) per minute:

http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/charge/bill_plan/plan/val...

ephesusvor 16 Jahren

On standard Docomo phones? I've been able to browse the internet on a 1000yen AU since 3 years ago. I could also download music. If the link considers 93% of Japanese phones not smart phones, the term "smart phone" should be defined more clearly.

masklinnvor 16 Jahren

> Japanese phones can surf hacker news maybe (after printing out all of the javascript source to screen) but the rest of the web is sort of illegible on those browsers.

That doesn't make or break a smartphone. The iPhone introduced desktop-class browsing to phones in the west, but a number of westerner smartphones still have terrible browsing experience (BlackBerry OS 4 and 5 devices, Symbian stuff, etc…)

babyvor 16 Jahren

Maybe most of japanese websites have a mobile version ?

aphexairlinesvor 16 Jahren

It's hit or miss. Looking for venue information when you're out and trying to get somewhere is frustrating -- most venue sites are designed for full browsers.

MichaelGGvor 16 Jahren

Yea, the real number (if I read the article correctly) is that Apple now has 7% of the entire cell phone market, up from 5% last year.

elblancovor 16 Jahren

> serve as wallet, mass transport pass and identity card, video call

How are these things handled by people with iPhones in Japan?

ianiumvor 16 Jahren

From what I understand, iPhones aren't really bought to be used as everyday phones and an iPhone owner will probably have a second, Japanese phone as well. If someone has one it's because it is a cool, western thing to have (basically just a gadget) plus they can be used on trips to the US and elsewhere.

darren_vor 16 Jahren

I've literally never heard of this (live in Japan, know lots of Japanese people, see a _lot_ of iPhones out and about), and I basically don't buy it whatsoever. Maybe it's something from a couple of years ago?

darren_vor 16 Jahren

For the wallet and metro pass they just use a separate RFID card (pasmo or suica). Which is actually pretty normal, you don't really see that many people using their phones for the gates at the metro.

masklinnvor 16 Jahren

With a separate keitai. No, I'm not kidding. There are also iPhone cases in which you can put a FeLiCa, which kinda-sorta turns your iPhone into an RFID-enabled phone.

phamiltonvor 16 Jahren

Can the world somehow figure out how to sync up their "smartphone market share" reports? I feel like every week there's a new article about it from a different source. Things can't have changed much in a week.

Someone should figure out a way to group things like these together. A mashup of articles reporting essentially the same thing. Then some can produce a mashup of these mashups in an RSS feed.

aphexairlinesvor 16 Jahren

It helps that Softbank (the only carrier that Apple's supporting) is eating the entire cost of the phone.

Hmm, an HTC Desire HD for 30,720 yen (US$378) on a 2-year contract:

https://onlineshop.mb.softbank.jp/ols/mobile/WOS001Control/W...

or an iPhone for free on a 2-year contract:

https://onlineshop.mb.softbank.jp/ols/mobile/WOS001Control/W...

And that's not even mentioning the other carriers, whose data and voice plans are much more expensive. And the Galaxy S that docomo's selling (for the low price of your firstborn child) doesn't even have a front camera.

edkennedyvor 16 Jahren

Perhaps there's an opportunity in translating apps over to Japanese.