iPhone big in Japan

Apple's iPhone 3GS number one selling phone in Japan in month of July

Apparently Apple's new iPhone 3GS is a big hit in Japan.  According to market data from Gfk Japan, Apple sold the most phones in the country during the month of July.  In specific, the iPhone 3GS 32GB which offers a video camera and voice control features, is selling better than more advanced phones already offered in Japan.

The Sharp SH-06A, came close behind the iPhone in second, even though it sports a much higher quality camera.  For example, Apple's device has a built in 3-megapixel camera, while Sharp's device has a built in 10 megapixel camera.  And it's not the touchscreen that sold users, because Sharp's phone also has a touchscreen.  Maybe the $720 dollar price on the SH-06A caused potential buyers to take a look at other alternatives.

It's also interesting to see the iPhone outselling native phones in Japan, not only because it's a less advanced phone, but because Apple's device doesn't work with many of the specific perks of having a cellphone in Japan.  For example, many Japanese phones include FeliCa, a technology developed by Sony which enables citizens to pay for things like subway access or buying store items with their cellphones.

Apple's industrial design, interface and overall ease of use must be the explanation for rise in iPhone popularity among the Japanese .  According to a recent article published by the NYTimes, Japanese developers are jealous of iPhone's global popularity and the way Apple has pushed the industry away from hardware specs to software.  Takeshi Natsuno, a key player in Japan's mobile industry told the Times in regards to the iPhone, “This is the kind of phone I wanted to make.”

Or perhaps it could be the simple fact people are tired of the flip phone, which is the design of the Sharp SH-06A.

Image source - gadget.pdamu.com