Photo: Pakutaso
tech

Study shows iPhone the smartphone of choice for young Japanese women

16 Comments
By Dale Roll, SoraNews24

Now that demand for smartphones has grown enough to allow plenty of brands to emerge on the market, you would think the popularity of the iPhone would have decreased. Yet in Japan, the iPhone still seems to reign supreme, so much so that it’s one of the things that foreigners notice about Japanese phone culture. Even smartphone giant Samsung has repeatedly experienced low sales and has almost pulled out of the Japanese market, thanks to the immense popularity of the iPhone.

Interestingly, iPhone use is disproportionately popular among young Japanese women, especially among high school girls. A recent study showed that 84.8 percent of Japanese high school girls surveyed owned iPhones, leaving just over 15 percent using other brands.

But why? Many other smartphone brands have produced stronger and more technologically advanced products. Even Chinese phones, which are cheaper, are getting better and better. Android products are also more universally compatible with other tech. And yet, still, some iPhone users are almost fanatical about their Apple products.

The survey sought to explain why high school girls, in particular, still love their iPhones, by hypothesizing that fear of being ostracized or of feeling left out is what drives young women to use iPhones. It seems silly, but teenagers bully each other for much less, so it’s very plausible.

It probably doesn’t explain the whole picture, though. There could be many factors that work together to make the iPhone the most appealing smartphone for young women. Japanese netizens had some ideas, too:

“Japan is still in a ‘village mentality.’ If everyone else is doing it, people think they have to do it, too. That’s the pressure of conformity.”

“It’s not really that complicated. If they’re not the same brand, it’d be hard for them to learn from each other how to use them.”

“It’s not like they must have an iPhone, it’s that they only know how to use the iPhone.”

“No, it’s because they want to pick the most stable product, which is the iPhone.”

“There are so many more iPhone cases and accessories. Isn’t that why?”

Actually, the last netizen has a good point. In the case of high school girls and young women, at least, the absolute abundance of accessories for iPhones is probably a big reason why they manage to stay so popular.

While you can find aisles upon aisles of cool things like "Legend of Zelda" and "Sailor Moon" cases for iPhones, the most accessories you’ll find for other brands is at best a couple of rows in one section of a single aisle. The fact that you can easily customize the exterior of your iPhone, which is undoubtedly important to young women trying to express themselves, is likely a major factor.

Of course, this doesn’t completely explain why iPhones remain popular across all demographics. We may never know exactly why they are number one in Japan, but at least visitors who are Apple fans can rejoice in the sheer amount of Apple friendly merchandise available here.

Source: livedoor NEWS via My Game News Flash

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- Toyama man first person in Japan to be arrested for selling jailbroken iPhones

-- 7 Reasons the iPhone 6 is a piece of junk (according to Japanese otaku)

-- Samsung, IOC deny asking iPhone carrying Olympic athletes to cover their Apple logos

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

16 Comments
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Japanese women not only recognise quality and design but also a superior operating system.

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

It is because they are on average very very ignorant of tech in general (2 sisters in law to show me...). Then of course the "I shall adapt like others" prevails.

I had iphone and although very smooth to use, you are stuck, impeded, forbidden to use your phone with apps as you wish. An unforgettable drawback for free people.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

I used to be an android guy, but I'm all better now. Seriously though, the OS updates can be downloaded right away, I don't want to sell my soul to Google, and I use a mac anyway, so...whatever. Six of one, half a dozen of the other.

There are limits to IOS flexibility, but at the same time the app store is much better.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

iPhones unfortunately will get the worse 4G and 5G modems, when they exclusively use Intel modems and drop the better Qualcomm modems

https://www.cnet.com/news/apples-next-iphone-will-use-only-intel-modems-qualcomm-says/

3 ( +4 / -1 )

My wife has an iphone and me an Android. When we go out to an unfamiliar place, including overseas, we rely on my Android to get around, accomplish tasks and take videos and pics.

The iphone is also capable of same things, but doesn't do them as well, we both agree.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I've given up trying to transfer photos from my Iphone direct to the PC. Instead have to email them.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

And the survey’s conclusion was well, there wasn’t one!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Japanese women not only recognize quality and design but also a superior operating system.

if its so superior why does Android account for 85% of worldwide smartphone OS compared to Apples 14%

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Do your own survey. On your next train ride see how many automatons have there eyes fixed on that Iphone.

Have an Android tablet that can work as phone. Works great. Have the latest and greatest Iphone. That as well works great. What I miss though is my Casio G'z flip phone. That thing was so cool before smart phones came along!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The main reason is to these young women, owning an iphone is like owning an expensive designer handbag. It is more about flaunting, showing off.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Johnathanjo have you ever heard of google?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

iPhones unfortunately will get the worse 4G and 5G modems, when they exclusively use Intel modems and drop the better Qualcomm modems

https://www.cnet.com/news/apples-next-iphone-will-use-only-intel-modems-qualcomm-says/

Beware, the difference between Qualcomm and Intel modems can be quite striking (data from Ookla, the independent company behind SpeedTest.net)

https://i.imgur.com/t7XB5l7.png

Compared to non-Android phones based on Intel XMM 7480, Android smartphones with Snapdragon 845 on T-Mobile (480,000 tests) had approximately:

53% faster typical download speeds

32% lower typical latency

103% faster worst-case download speeds

97% faster worst-case upload speeds

21% lower worst-case latency

Compared to non-Android phones based on Intel XMM 7480, Android smartphones with Snapdragon 845 on AT&T (570,000 tests) had approximately:

40% faster typical download speeds

20% faster typical upload speeds

20% lower typical latency

11% faster worst-case download speeds

135% faster worst-case upload speeds

20% lower worst-case latency

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Doggar

Yes thanks. Found many different suggestions but none worked for me.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Japanese women not only recognize quality and design but also a superior operating system.

if its so superior why does Android account for 85% of worldwide smartphone OS compared to Apples 14%

Not such a smart remark.

For the same reason as the best performing cars are sold to a smaller audience :)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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