After a slow start, the iPhone is finally catching on in Japan, thanks to lower prices and new features. The iPhone 3GS was the bestselling phone in Japan last month, according to market research.
Electronista cites market data from Gfk Japan, which found the 32GB iPhone 3GS was Japan’s hottest seller in July. The reasons are unclear, but the new features of the latest iPhone and lowered pricing may be giving the handset leverage that its predecessor, the iPhone 3G, lacked.
In February, Wired.com reported that Japanese carrier Softbank had begun offering the iPhone 3G for free to attract customers, suggesting the handset wasn’t selling well. In that story, analyst Tero Kuittinen said the iPhone 3G likely wasn’t doing well in Japan because of its previously high price tag, as well as its lack of a video camera and support for multimedia messaging.
All three shortcomings have now been addressed. Softbank gives away the phone for free, and Apple has added a video camera and support for multimedia messaging. Gfk Japan’s sales data suggest that those moves were just what the iPhone needed to gain a foothold in Japan.
Incidentally, Electronista notes the iPhone is the only American phone to make it to Gfk’s list, suggesting the country’s continued preference for its own more complex smartphones rather than the simpler, less capable smartphones that dominate the U.S. market.
