IDC: Mobile device shipments in Japan expected to decline in 2015

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IDC: Mobile device shipments in Japan expected to decline in 2015

Shipments not expected to hit 2013 levels until 2017.

February 25, 2015

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Shipments not expected to hit 2013 levels until 2017.

According to research firm IDC, the Japanese market for mobile devices – including smartphones, tablets, PCs, and other data communication devices like data cards and personal routers – is expected to decline by 2.3 percent compared with 2014. This follows a year in which mobile device shipments declined by approximately 8.6 percent from 2013. Overall, IDC estimates that there were 25.7 million smartphones, 8.2 million tablets, 15.4 million PCs, and 2.1 million other data communication devices shipped in Japan in 2014.

There is some room for optimism, at least in the smartphone segment. IDC estimates that while overall shipments of mobile devices will decline in 2015, smartphone sales will actually grow to about 27 million units. Apple, in particular, has a strong market in Japan, and expectations are that the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will retain significant popularity throughout the year. Japan is one of the few markets (the US and Australia are the others) where iOS device shipments outsell their Android counterparts.

On the other hand, IDC predicts that the tablet market has turned a corner…onto a bad street. The company expects tablet shipments to decline throughout its 2014-2018 forecast. In addition, sales of Android smartphones are expected to remain flat. Finally, PC sales had a significant artificial bump in 2014 with the termination of support for the Windows XP operating system, and PC sales are expected to decline by about 15 percent in 2015 as compared with 2014.

Nevertheless, it appears as though Japan remains a robust market for iPhones, and accessory and peripheral makers may consider it a stable and even growing market over the next few years.

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