Apple has dominated the Japanese smartphone market for the past decade, but the recent iPhone 12 launch has proven so successful that it recently helped set an all-time shipment record.
The iPhone 12 line accounted for over half of Japan’s 5G phone shipments
The MM Research Institute has released a report, cited by Taiwan’s Technews outlet, that reveals that domestic smartphone shipments in Japan increased 16% year-on-year in the period that ran from April 2020 to March 2021.Smartphone manufacturers shipped a combined 32.757 million units, surpassing the previous record of 32.58 million units that was set in 2017. Unsurprisingly, flagship and budget 5G phones played an important role in boosting demand.
Per the market data, demand for 5G smartphones increased 40-fold during the period. Shipments jumped from a mere 269,000 units in 2019 to over 11 million in 2020, with the 5G iPhone 12 series leading the way.
In fact, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro models reportedly accounted for over half of all 5G smartphone shipments during the quarter. That’s far from surprising, considering Apple typically holds a market share of over 60% in Japan.
Sharp, who recently launched the world’s first smartphone with a one-inch camera sensor, followed in second place. Samsung completed the top 3, local brand Fujitsu followed in fourth place, and Sony landed in fifth thanks to its 5G Xperia phones.
Looking forward, demand for 5G smartphones is expected to double over the course of 2021. Apple is well-positioned to continue dominating and should receive a mid-season sales bump thanks to the purple iPhone 12.
