Mass market adoption eludes 3G iPhone in Japan
The 3G iPhone may be headed towards failure in Japan according to communications sector senior analyst Inui Makio who works for financial services firm UBS. In an article on Japanese tech site ItMedia +D, Inui points out all of the reasons why the 3G iPhone may have lost momentum in Japan.
The 3G iPhone, which was projected to sell one million units in Japan, appears to have only sold 200,000 units at the most. Both Apple and Softbank continue to keep actual sales figures a closely guarded secret. Inui’s initial estimates put yearend sales figures at 350,000, but that figure appears unreachable at the current sales rate. Although it has only been a short period Softbank has already adjusted 3G iPhone pricing plans lower in an attempt to boost sales.
The lack of features found in most Japanese cell phones appear to be holding back the iPhone from succeeding in Japan. The 3G iPhone is not able to use pictograms in text messages and emails. This may be a show stopper for the average user as text messaging is far more prevalent then voice calls due to the high cost charged per minute. The ability to convey a message with a single image is significantly faster than typing out the entire word.
Unlike most Japanese cell phones, the 3G iPhone cannot be used as a substitute wallet using Felica technology. Also, the 3G iPhone cannot take advantage of the 1Seg mobile television service available on some Japanese cell phones. These factors appear to be limiting 3G iPhone adopters to fans of apple products and not the critical mass market.
According to Inui, the fact the 3G iPhone was not tailored to the Japanese market is the primary factor limiting its current success. Unlike the West where cell phone use was typically limited to text messages and voice calls, the ability to access the internet and listen to music using a cell phone was not a new feature for the Japanese market.
