June 2005: 3G handset shipments account for 70% in Japan

JEITA published the number of cellular phone shipments in Japan in June 2005. Overall, the sales of handsets in June 2005 totaled 4,170,000, which is 4.1% more than in June last year.

The growth in handset shipments was boosted by summer sales campaigns initiated by major carriers. Replacement upgrades were the main sales driver in a nearly saturated Japanese market.

PHS sales overcome last year results in straight five months -- 113,000 of PHS phones were sold in June 2005, which is 176.9% more than last year.

More importantly, Japan’s carriers continued to switch their subscribers from 2G to 3G handsets in big numbers. More than 3 million of 3G handsets were sold in June, pushing the share of 3G handset shipments to 70%.
Source: JEITA