>> Japan's YOY Mobile Phone Shipments Decline for 15 Consecutive Months
neasia.nikkeibp.com
Source: NEAsia Online, Oct. 15
EXTRACT: The Japan Electronic and Information Industries Association (JEITA) announced the number of mobile phones (cellular phones, in-car phones and personal handyphones) shipped to the Japanese market in August 2002. According to JEITA's report, total shipments in August showed a 20.5 percent decrease to 3,331,000 units compared to the same month in 2001. It marked the 15th straight month decrease on a year-on-year basis.
Wireless Watch Japan says:
COMMENTARY: JEITA says dull demand for replacements is behind the decline in shipments. Looks like Japan's long, dark economic stagnation is finally starting to affect even -- Can it be? -- cell phone sales. Against this trend, there are a couple of interesting points to note. First, in the 4-month period from 1 April to 6 August, sales of KDDI's much-ballyhooed CDMA 1X 3G handsets reached about 1,645,000 -- that's 411,250 per month on average.
But sales of J-Phone's **2G** Sha-mail-enabled handsets more or less kept pace, with a total of 1,617,600 being sold for a monthly average of 404,400. Would you prefer a faster handset or one that can take pictures? Granted, several of the new KDDI models have cameras as well, but my argument is that after a certain point, speed doesn't matter as much as multimedia functionality.
Another point: shipments of PHS terminals are waaaay down, now at an 18-consecutive-month, YOY decline, at 73,000 units -- a whopping 64 percent decrease over August 2001. Is this the end for PHS? Two factors in its favor: data cards are still selling at least somewhat well, and PHS terminals continue top be sold outside Japan (otherwise why would there still be 15 makers here manufacturing the handsets?). See map at the link below for a list of countries now using PHS:
phsmou.or.jp <<
- Eric- |
