40-Fold Surge in 5G Smartphones in Japan... Samsung Ranks 3rd Amid Apple Dominance

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] Thanks to the launch of Apple's first 5G iPhone, the iPhone 12, the shipment volume of 5G smartphones in the Japanese market has increased by an astonishing 40 times in just one year. The share of 5G smartphones has also surpassed the '30% barrier.' In the overall smartphone market, Samsung Electronics, led by the Galaxy A series, ranked third in market share amid Apple's overwhelming dominance.

According to Japanese tech news on the 21st, market research firm Multimedia Research Institute (MMRI) recently released survey results showing that smartphone shipments in Japan for the 2020 fiscal year (April 2020 to March 2021) reached 32.757 million units, a 16.9% increase compared to the previous year. This is an all-time high.

In particular, 5G smartphone shipments in Japan, now in their second year of commercialization, recorded high growth. Shipments increased from 269,000 units in the 2019 fiscal year (April 2019 to March 2020) to 11.1 million units, about 40 times more in just one year. It is analyzed that the effect of the four models of the iPhone 12 series released in the second half of last year after the early 5G commercialization was significant. The share of 5G smartphones in total smartphone shipments rose from 1% in the 2019 fiscal year to 33.6% in the 2020 fiscal year.

By manufacturer, Apple's strong performance continued. MMRI stated, "Apple's iPhone took first place with nearly half of the market share in the Japanese smartphone market." It was followed by Sharp, Samsung Electronics, Fujitsu, and Sony. Shipment volumes and market shares by manufacturer were not disclosed. Samsung Electronics is evaluated to have succeeded by strengthening its mid-to-low-end 5G smartphone lineup centered on the Galaxy A series.

For this year (April 2021 to March 2022), Japan's smartphone shipments are expected to reach 34.44 million units, about a 5% increase from the previous year, breaking the record once again. 5G smartphone shipments are projected to increase by 106% to 22.71 million units. The share of 5G smartphones in the total smartphone market is also expected to rise to 65.9%.

The Asahi Shimbun reported, "With steady growth every year, 5G smartphone shipments are expected to increase to 34.19 million units by 2025," adding, "Most smartphones will support 5G, and 5G smartphones will account for nearly 100%."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.