Apple’s iPad and iPhone are pushing out traditionally strong Japanese device makers, as Japan rises to the top of Apple’s market growth charts, says a new report from The Wall Street Journal.
With an estimated 37 percent of the smartphone market and 50 percent of the tablet market, Apple has seen explosive growth in Japan and the world’s third-largest economy is now Cupertino’s fastest-growing market, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Apple’s sales in Japan leapt nearly 30% in the last fiscal year. In comparison, the market most observers felt was Apple’s best growth target, nearby China, saw a sales growth of just 13% in the same time frame.
The WSJ credits Apple’s brand positioning for the dominant position in the Japanese market place. The publication places the Cupertino firm in the same tier as fashion designer Louis Vitton, citing a quote from Eiji Mori, an analyst with Tokyo-based BCN, Inc., who told the paper when Japanese consumers are making a choice about a new mobile phone, “[the choice is] not about specifications. It’s not about rationale. It’s about owning an iPhone.”
Apple also benefits from the historically rocky relationship between Japan and Korea. The rift makes it difficult for South Korean firm Samsung to get a toehold in the Japanese market.
