Many companies have a hard time cracking the Japanese market for technology due to homegrown preferences that often differ from global trends. Microsoft is again trying to get a foothold in that land with Windows 10 Mobile, and they are having some success with more phone models than ever before.
The July numbers from AdDuplex break down the market in Japan by looking at install data from late June. Overall, the numbers are still minuscule compared to the whole smartphone market in Japan, but what is available is fascinating when compared to the planet. Indeed, Japan has many Windows phone models not found in other parts of the world resulting in a regionally skewed market that is unique.
Here is how Japan compares to the global distribution of Windows 10 Mobile devices.
Windows 10 Mobile Distribution: Global vs. Japan
| Rank | Global | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lumia 535 | MCJ Madosma Q501 |
| 2 | Lumia 640 | Freetel Katana 01 |
| 3 | Lumia 550 | Lumia 535 |
| 4 | Lumia 640 XL | NuAns NEO |
| 5 | Lumia 950 | VAIO Phone Biz |
| 6 | Lumia 930 | Freetel Katana 02 |
| 7 | Lumia 650 | Lumia 640 |
| 8 | Lumia 730 | Lumia 620 |
| 9 | Lumia 950 XL | Lumia 1520 |
| 10 | Lumia 830 | Lumia 1020 |
It is fascinating to see the Lumia 1020 finally on any list especially in Japan. The NuAns NEO, a relative newcomer, is also making some strides in the #4 position while Lumias still make up for 5 out of 10 of the most popular Windows 10 Mobile devices.
NuAns is now trying their hand at the global market through a Kickstart project to fund their phone. This will be one of the first times we have seen a manufacturer in Japan try to reach out to new markets. Even VAIO is still keeping their unique Phone Biz device locked to the Nipponese market.
So far, however, NuAns has only managed to get 441 backers for Kickstarter funding 1/7th of their goal with just 18 days left.
The overall picture is even more fascinating. In Japan, Lumias account for just 59.51 percent of all Windows Phones versus 97 percent for the rest of the world.
Japan's distribution model is what Microsoft wants in the long term for Windows 10 Mobile globally with OEMs taking over hardware. The question is can Microsoft replicate those results in other parts of the world. So far, only a few manufacturers have made new Windows 10 phones, and none have strongly resonated with the public. Leveraging local manufacturuers in Japan, however, seems to be more efficient than importing a foregin brand.
HP potentially could make an impact with the Elite x3 if companies by large quantities of them for their workforce. That, of course, remains to be seen.
About AdDuplex
The numbers from AdDuplex are collected through their in-app advertising that is prevalent in over 5,000 apps in the Windows Store. That data serve as an important metric within the Windows Phone ecosystem. The full AdDuplex report for July will be posted on their blog at https://blog.adduplex.com/ on Friday (July 22).
