banana-ads: Let's watch japan

words by Yasuhiko Morita Japanese Mechanical Engineer intern at Design-engine.com

The main makers of cell phones in the world are Nokia, Motorola and Samsung. However, the situation in Japan is quite different from other cultures or countries. Most cell phones used in Japan are made by domestic companies such as Sharp and NEC. Since the companies have been making their cell phones only for Japan, they have been uniquely developed in functions and designs beyond what is seen in the United States.

Sharp kept the top market share among japan's handset venderos according to IDC Japan. Sharp was followed by Panasonic at 11.4% , NEC 10.4% , Sony Ericsson 9.2% , Toshiba 9.1% and other vendors splitting the remaining 38.7% of the market. Overall handset shipments increased 11.2 % from the same period in 2005, reaching 12.95 million the last quarter of 2006

"Sharp holds top handset market share as of the last quoarter of 2006" - IDC Japan

Media Skin by Tokujin Yoshioka

Japanese people like multifunctional or hybrid cell phones. They commonly have cameras which enable them not only to take pictures but also to make video calls. Television, GPS, downloading and playing music are also common functions. Unlike North American cell phones, they can use their cell phones as payment like debit cards and some of them have biometric scanners to recognize fingerprints.

Also, industrial design is an important factor for consumers much more so in Japan. These days, Japanese cell phone makers often collaborate with famous product designers or fashion companies. The beginning of this movement is probably started by 'au Design Project.'


Talby by Marc Newson

About 4 years ago (2003 or so), au, one of major mobile carriers in Japan, released 'Info Bar.' At that time, most cell phones were almost similarly designed for the mass market, so Info Bar which was focused on its design was accepted by those who were not satisfied with other cell phones on the Japanese market. Maybe if you watch the Japanese telephony market closely you will get a glimpse into the future of what Motorola and Nokia will be doing in the future.