iPhone 3G Sales in Japan Aren’t Happenin’
by Jody Mitoma on September 18, 2008 at 1:04 am
According to Alley Insider, Apple’s iPhone 3G just isn’t selling well in Japan.
Reason for this not at fault of the iPhone itself, but because the Japanese cellphone market is larger than those of America. Those living in Japan have a much broader range of cellphones to select from than we do here in Canada, USA, or UK.
“According to market-research firm MM Research Institute, Apple sold about 200,000 phones in Japan in the first two months. Since then, however, demand has been falling steadily, and analysts now widely believe sales are unlikely to reach a total of 500,000 units. That is half the one million units that they previously thought Apple could sell. One big challenge is that Japanese users already have access to some of the most advanced mobile-phone technologies in the world. Models currently sold by Japanese cellphone makers typically contain a high-end color display, digital TV-viewing capability, satellite navigation service, music player and digital camera. Many models also include chips that let owners use their phones as debit cards or train passes.”
I say Japan should share their innovation with America. Who’s with me?
(via Silicon Alley Insider)
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Posted in Apple Corporate, News Related
September 18th, 2008 at 1:19 am
It ain’t so much the phone technology they need to share, it’s the technology those phones have access to. Stuff like 1seg (wireless digital TV) and video calling is standard issue over there. We have nothing like it in this half of the world. Hell, as far as that goes, 1seg hasn’t made it out of Asia yet. Then there’s the fringe technology that’s common over there; phones outfitted with personal alarms, biometric readers, etc. The iPhone just doesn’t have the goodies they’re used to. It’s sleek and sexy with a fantatic UI and the best mobile browser on the planet (Flash and Java support notwithstanding), but Japan is just used to more. We’re only just starting to get mobile payment systems up and running (PayPal Mobile, for example), but train passes and such? That’s a long way off yet.