The iPhone is the most popular smartphone in Japan. In fact, Japan has one of the largest iPhone market shares in the world. There are several possible reasons why the iPhone is so beloved among many other smartphones available, and why it sells so well in Japan when compared to other countries around the world.
In this article, I will explain in details, the secrets and factors behind the overwhelming strength of iPhone in Japan.
The iPhone in Japan
In Japan, featured phones were in full swing until the latter half of the 2000s, and domestic consumer electronics manufacturers such as Panasonic, Sharp, and Toshiba sold major models that performed well. However, this situation changed dramatically when the iPhone 3G was introduced in 2008.
By the beginning of the 2010s, smartphones were in full swing, and the domestic consumer electronics manufacturers that had developed many handsets up until then, when they were forced to struggle, resulting in many manufacturers withdrawing from the smartphone market.
According to a survey by Webedge, more than half of the smartphone market as of 2020 (57.53%) is dominated by iPhones, while Android holds more than 40% of the market share by OS. If we assume that Android and iOS are the only two operating systems, we can see how the iPhone has a large share of the Japanese market.
In 2015, the iPhone already had a 70% share of the smartphone market, and although its share has declined slightly, it is still very popular. The fact remains that the iPhone is still very popular.
Reasons for the iPhone’s high market share in Japan
Business practices of cell phone sales in Japan
One of the most significant factors is the history of cell phone sales in Japan. In the past, it was not common in Japan to purchase a cell phone for tens of thousands of yen, but rather to reduce the initial cost by keeping the price of the phone to zero or as low as possible, and then recover the cost from the subsequent communication charges.
By the time the iPhone was introduced, installment sales of handsets had become common, but instead of paying the installment fee, the monthly usage fee was discounted, which made it possible to keep the monthly fee relatively low even for a high-spec handset.
The reason why Android is so popular overseas is because the price of the handset is lower than that of the iPhone, and in many cases it is perceived as a low-cost handset. For this reason, many users say that they really want an iPhone but they use Android to keep costs down. In the case of Japan, the iPhone’s market share has increased as a result of the country’s system and business practices that make it relatively easy to purchase even a high-end device like the iPhone.
The power of the Apple brand
In addition to quality and support, Apple’s brand power is also a major factor.
For example, the thrill of opening the iPhone’s luxurious packaging, the stylish and impactful commercials on TV, and the Apple Store, which is reminiscent of a high-brand boutique, are all elements of the iPhone that radiate high quality and are unified as a single worldview. All the elements that make up the iPhone are highly textured and unified into a single worldview.
This brand power is directly linked to the desire to own and the satisfaction of the product itself, and in many cases, once a user has an iPhone, he or she is so fascinated by it, and that they will change to another model.
High quality and support
The quality of iPhones is higher than that of other companies, and even if an iPhone is damaged, the manufacturer will take all possible measures to repair it, so you can buy an iPhone with peace of mind.
As the number of iPhone users has increased, more and more companies have started to offer their own repair services. One of the main reasons why the iPhone is so popular in Japan is that there is a system in place that allows people to receive repair and support services with peace of mind in case their device should break down or in trouble.
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