iPhone 12 drives record smartphone shipments in Japan

Apple took nearly half of the smartphone market in Japan last year.

What you need to know

• A new report says the iPhone 12 has led a record year for smartphone sales in Japan.
• New research indicates Apple took about half of the smartphone market.
• Shipments of 5G phones increased by nearly 4000% in the country in 2020.

A new report says the iPhone 12 helped spur a 4000% increase in 5G smartphone shipments in Japan last year.

From TechNews:

With the blessing of Apple's 5G-supported iPhone 12 series models, Japan's domestic 5G smartphone shipments have exploded. In 2020, there will be a 40-fold increase, and this year's shipments are expected to double again. MM Research Institute, a Japanese ICT market research and consulting organization, released a survey report on the 18th and pointed out that in 2020 (April 2020 to March 2021), domestic smartphone shipments in Japan increased by 16.9% annually to 32.757 million. Exceeding the 32.58 million in 2017, the annual shipments set a record high. In 2020, Japan's SIM-Free smartphone shipments increased by 42.4% annually to 4.287 million units. The annual shipments hit a record high, accounting for 13.1% of the overall smartphone shipments.

Apple's iPhone 12 reportedly drove some 11 million 5G smartphone shipments, a 4000% increase on 2019's 269,000 units. As the best iPhone in recent years and the first to feature 5G, it's not hard to see why.

Apple reportedly took around 50% of the Japanese smartphone market followed by Sharp, Samsung, Fujitsu, and Sony.

The news follows reports this morning that Apple's iPhone is also finding success in China, from that report:

A new report says Apple sold 2.7 million iPhones in China last month, enjoying "brisk" sales of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12, including Apple's latest new purple color.

From Digitimes:

Apple's iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 series products, including a new color of iPhone 12 mini, enjoyed brisk sales in China in April, totaling 2.7 million units or 10% of the market share, up from 8% seen a month earlier.

Looking ahead, the report cites observer estimations stating Apple's shipments of iPhones in China "are likely to grow by a double-digit rate on year to 8-8.5 million units in the second quarter of 2021."