Japanese Develop Rich Appetite for Smartphones
The Japanese embraced smartphones long before they were called smartphones. Almost all major smartphone manufacturers have established their presence in the Japanese market, as no multinational company can ignore the business prospects in the world’s third largest economy.
Over the years, smartphones have become a lifestyle gadget of the Japanese. However, with the exception of Sony, no domestic player is prominent in the international smartphone manufacturing sector – despite contributing significantly to the smartphone population of Japan.
A recent survey conducted by comScore revealed that Japan’s smartphone usage has increased phenomenally. comScore studied over 4000 mobile subscribers to analyse the recent trends in Smartphone usage in Japan. Survey results indicate a near 43% increase in the smartphone adoption. Falling smartphone prices and introduction of new generation operating systems were cited as two key factors contributing to this phenomenal growth.
Until a couple of years ago Apple had a lion’s share in the Japan smartphone market, but today over two-thirds of consumers are using Android-based smartphones. Google will be pleased to hear this as they have achieved their primary objective of beating Apple in one of the key smartphone markets, but Apple cannot be written off – especially after the launch of iPhone 5.
Despite being overshadowed by the remarkable feats of Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS, Microsoft continues to maintain a noteworthy presence. Although statistically Microsoft finds itself at the bottom of the table with only 3.2 per cent of smartphone users, they too are hoping for a strong comeback with Windows 8 OS.
Japanese people embrace any new form of innovation or technology with an open heart. Their tendency to always try out the latest in the market compels manufacturers to introduce newer models on a continuous basis. Though the global economic turmoil may affect smartphone sales elsewhere, the Japanese will not compromise their status as modern-day technology lovers and leaders.
The meteoric rise of Android is attributed to its availability as an open source platform, which results in smartphone makers churning out phones loaded with an Android operating system. Locally-manufactured Android phones are far cheaper than international brands, hence Android became the technology of the masses. Though not as popular as Apple’s iTunes, Google’s Play Store is rich in terms of applications, the top-rated of which are offered as free. More and more local manufacturers are adopting Android OS because it adds global appeal to their already economical smartphone models.
According to the comScore survey, Sharp is considered as the top smartphone brand in Japan, followed closely by Panasonic, Fujitsu, NEC and Sony. Smartphones have literally taken over PC’s as the dominant gadget of the new millennium. With a host of new smartphones slated to be launched later this year by top brands, the scene is only going to brighten.
From the development of applications to actually releasing the app for public consumption, developers need to know what factors to consider in choosing a server or hosting provider. GMO Cloud recommends several configurations that can well accommodate developer requirements to ensure that they will always have their system available both during and after deployment.
Be Part of Our Cloud Conversation
Our articles are written to provide you with tools and information to meet your IT and cloud solution needs. Join us on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Guest Author:
Mandira Srivastava is a fulltime freelance writer who specializes in technology, health and fitness, politics, and financial writing. Equipped with degree of mass communication and having worked for both private and corporate clients, I have experience meeting a wide range of writing requirements and styles.
