Driving Innovation: Mechanical and Optical Processes During Rigid-flex Production
It’s Only Common Sense: Your Biggest Competitor Is Complacency
The Chemical Connection: Onshoring PCB Production—Daunting but Certainly Possible
Japan’s Mobile Phones Market Decreased by 3.5% YoY in 2023Q4 to 8.3 Million Units
March 6, 2024 | IDCEstimated reading time: 1 minute
According to International Data Corporation ’s (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, in 2023Q4, Japan’s shipments of mobile phones totaled 8.3 million units, a decrease of 3.5% compared to the same period last year. Additionally, smartphone shipments reached 8.28 million units, representing a decrease of 2.4% YoY. While all quarters of 2023 saw declines compared to the previous year, 2023Q4 recorded shipments exceeding 8 million units, the only quarter to do so. The demand started to improve in the second half of the year, led by Apple, indicating a diminishing impact of inflation due to the weakening yen and carrier inventory adjustments.
Apple continued to lead the smartphone market with strong demand for its iPhone 15 series. Sharp regained its second position in the market with steady following in the elderly segment for its affordable smartphones. Google had the biggest gain and continued on its strong growth trajectory since 2023Q2.
Google rapidly increased its share in 2023 after its partnership with Docomo earlier in the year. Also in 2023, FCNT filed for civil rehabilitation and was acquired by Lenovo while Kyocera announced plans to selectively retract from the consumer segment.
“Japan has been a market where local vendors have been exceptionally strong. However, amid intensifying competition in the smartphone market, local vendors in Japan are gradually finding it difficult to compete with global vendors in terms of product development and competitiveness, including foldable smartphones and AI smartphones. In 2024, apart from Google which experienced rapid growth, other global vendors such as Lenovo, which acquired FCNT, and Xiaomi, will strengthen their presence in the Japan market. Meanwhile, local vendors will be compelled to reassess their positions in the domestic market," said Masafumi Inbe, Market Analyst, IDC Japan.
Share on:
Testimonial
"Advertising in PCB007 Magazine has been a great way to showcase our bare board testers to the right audience. The I-Connect007 team makes the process smooth and professional. We’re proud to be featured in such a trusted publication."
Klaus Koziol - atgSuggested Items
On the Line With… Ultra HDI Podcast—Episode 7: “Solder Mask: Beyond the Traces,” Now Available
10/29/2025 | I-Connect007I-Connect007 is excited to announce the release of the seventh episode of its 12-part podcast series, On the Line With… American Standard Circuits: Ultra HDI. In this episode, “Solder Mask: Beyond the Traces,” host Nolan Johnson sits down with John Johnson, Director of Quality and Advanced Technology at American Standard Circuits, to explore the essential role that solder mask plays in the Ultra HDI (UHDI) manufacturing process.
AI Triggers Next Paradigm Shift in PDN
10/23/2025 | Istvan Novak, SamtecArtificial intelligence (AI), together with machine learning (ML), is creating an unprecedented surge of computing and networking infrastructure needs. This, in turn, has dramatically increased the power consumption of computing and networking chips.
Teledyne FLIR Defense to Deliver Portable Chemical Detectors to US Customs and Border Protection
10/21/2025 | BUSINESS WIRETeledyne FLIR Defense, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, announced that it has received an order from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for 15 of its Griffin™ G510x portable chemical detectors, specifically designed to analyze and identify explosives and narcotics, such as fentanyl and nitazenes, within five minutes.
Curtiss-Wright to Supply Turret Drive Stabilization Systems for U.S. Army XM30 Combat Vehicle Prototypes
10/16/2025 | BUSINESS WIRECurtiss-Wright Corporation announced that it has been selected by American Rheinmetall to provide its Turret Drive Stabilization System (TDSS) for the prototype phase of the U.S. Army’s XM30 Combat Vehicle (CV) program, which was recently approved to advance to Milestone B, the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase.
Episode 6 of Ultra HDI Podcast Series Explores Copper-filled Microvias in Advanced PCB Design and Fabrication
10/15/2025 | I-Connect007I-Connect007 has released Episode 6 of its acclaimed On the Line with... American Standard Circuits: Ultra High Density Interconnect (UHDI) podcast series. In this episode, “Copper Filling of Vias,” host Nolan Johnson once again welcomes John Johnson, Director of Quality and Advanced Technology at American Standard Circuits, for a deep dive into the pros and cons of copper plating microvias—from both the fabricator’s and designer’s perspectives.