Japan smartphone penetration grows to 77%

Nearly 77 percent of mobile users in Japan use a smartphone as their primary device, up 17.4 percent points from a year ago, according to an annual survey by the Communications and Information Network Association of Japan. Among people under 30, almost 100 percent had smartphones. Smartphone use increased in all age groups, with the largest increase in women in their forties (+23%) and women in their fifties (+16%). 

Over one in five (21.4%) of the smartphone users said they used multiple devices, down 10 percent from a yea ago. Among those with a second mobile device, just over 49 percent had a tablet with a telecom subscription and 32.5 percent a tablet with Wi-Fi only. These figures are up from respectively 36.7 and 22.6 percent in 2014. 

The survey also found mobile users more willing to buy a new phone, with 85.5 percent of respondents indicating they intend to purchase a replacement. That is the highest percentage since 2003. The desire to purchase a new phone was especially strong among feature phone users, with 93.2 percent of feature phone users saying they intend to switch to a smartphone. Over 63 percent of smartphone users and 23.5 percent of feature phone users said that they were aware of SIM-free/unlocked devices, but only 13.6 percent of smartphone users and 12.6 percent of feature phone users said they would like to use such a device. However, 70-80 percent answered that they were not sure. 

Furthermore, the average life of the respondents' current phones was the shortest in five years, at 28.0 months for smartphones and 46.1 months for feature phones. The top factors in deciding on a new smartphone were battery life, manufacturer/brand, monthly payment cost, high-speed service, mobile operator, water-proof and purchase price of handset.