iPhone Was Japan’s Most Purchased SmartPhone in 2011, With Sales of 7.25 Million

A new report has revealed that Apple’s iPhone was the most purchased smartphone in Japan last year, which accounted sales of 7.25 million, while Google’s Android was the top smartphone OS.

A MM Research Institute report — translated by Japanese blog Macotakara, via Engadget found that Apple sold 7.25 million gadgets to account for 30 percent share of total smartphone sales, putting it second. Smartphone ownership is still growing in Japan at fast pace, with comScore reporting they account for one in four devices, and Apple’s haul gave it 17 percent of total mobile phone sales in the country.

comScore also revealed that Android was Japan’s top dog for smartphones, and the OS accounted for 69 percent of sales based on platform. Although Android and Apple’s progress is influential, Japan’s adoption of smartphones is still in advancement and the feature phone sales stay vital.

Total smartphones shipments hit 42.74 million, which increased by 13.5 percent from 2010, with smartphones sales reaching 24.17 million. That is 57 percent of the total mobile devices purchased across the nation and it illustrates that Japan’s smartphone sector continues to grow at fast pace, with Web-enabled feature phones being replaced by app-centric devices.

MMRI concludes that Apple’s iOS and Android rule the Japanese smartphone market, as they do the same at global level, and together they dominated with 99 percent of all smartphones sold in Japan last year.

Apple is getting vital growth in Japan, where the company just a few days back was named the top consumer brand for the very first time. As well as the iPhone and the iPad is proving to be popular gadgets, and some Apple fans queued through the night to purchase the new iPad HD when it was launched in March, this year.