The report found that Google Android led as the top smartphone platform in March 2011 with 4.6 million users, more than doubling its subscriber base from December 2010. Apple ranked second with 3.9 million mobile subscribers in Japan.
In March 2010, more than 9.7 million people owned smartphones in Japan (defined as those phones that use the Google, Apple, Microsoft and other platforms), an increase of 71% from September 2010, as smartphone adoption has continued to accelerate in Japan. The surge in smartphone adoption during the past six months has been led by Android devices, which has increased its installed base by nearly 3.8 million users while the market as a whole has grown by 4.1 million users.
Google Android led as the top smartphone platform in March 2011 with 4.6 million subscribers, more than doubling in just the past three months. Despite giving up its #1 position, Apple still grew 17% in the past six months to 3.9 million mobile subscribers. The two leading platforms accounted for 87% of the smartphone market in Japan.
| Google and Apple Smartphone Platform Audience in Japan September 2010, December 2010 , March 2011 Total Japan Mobile Audience Age 13+ Source: comScore MobiLens | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Audience (000) | |||
| Sept-2010 | Dec-2010 | Mar-2011 | |
| Total Smartphone Audience | 5,702 | 6,975 | 9,764 |
| Google Android | 841 | 2,174 | 4,601 |
| Apple | 3,347 | 3,787 | 3,906 |
| Other | 1,514 | 1,014 | 1,257 |
Although Google Android has become the largest smartphone platform, Apple iPhones remain atop the list of most popular devices in Japan. A ranking of the top smartphone devices by number of subscribers reveals that three of the top five devices are iPhones while the other two, Sony Ericsson's Xperia and Toshiba's REGZA, both operate the Google Android platform.
| Top Smartphone Handset Audience in Japan March 2011 Total Japan Mobile Audience Age 13+ Source: comScore MobiLens | |
|---|---|
| Top Smartphone Devices by Audience | |
| 1 | Apple - iPhone 4 32GB |
| 2 | Sony Ericsson - Xperia |
| 3 | Apple - iPhone 4 16GB |
| 4 | Apple - iPhone 3G S 32GB |
| 5 | Toshiba - REGZA Phone T-01C |
Daizo Nishitani, president of comScore Japan KK commented, "Although smartphone adoption rates in Japan have historically lagged behind the US and Europe, we have witnessed the rapid increase of smartphone users in Japan throughout the past several months fuelled by iPhone and Android devices. Smartphone adoption is increasing not only in the larger cities like Tokyo, but throughout the smaller regions as well, signalling what could be the beginning of a tide change in the Japanese mobile market."
comScore MobiLens provides an unparalleled view of the Japan, US, Canada and European mobile media landscapes, connecting data on mobile consumer demographics and behaviours with device capabilities to providing leading brands with insights into technology and consumer trends in the dynamic mobile media market. For more information on comScore MobiLens, go to http://www.comscore.com/Products_Services/Product_Index/MobiLens.
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