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South Korea opens up cellphone sales, networks wary of the 'free market'
South Korea's Communications Commission is wresting control of the domestic cellphone market away from operators. From May 1st, it is opening the handset business open to any vendor, who will sell phones unlocked so consumers can decide their choice of network. The plan is aimed at lowering prices by introducing competition between the retailers -- although some voices in the industry have expressed concerns that the operators will withdraw discounted offers in retaliation. Naturally, the KCC is determined to ensure a better deal for consumers, and is already strong-arming wayward networks into ensuring that doesn't happen.
HTC says its growth in the US is 'faster than others'
This one's fairly light on specifics, but HTC CEO Peter Chou has given an interview to The Wall Street Journal where he dropped a few interesting tidbits, the most notable being that HTC's growth in the US is apparently "faster than others." Exactly what that translates to in actual numbers is unclear, but Chou did say that HTC expects to ship more than the 5.5 million to 6 million smartphones it shipped in the US last year. That growth is apparently due in large part to support from Verizon and T-Mobile, which Chou says "started treating us as their first-tier suppliers last year" and gave the company some "strong momentum." Chou also went on to confirm that HTC will be introducing six new models for China in partnership with China Mobile this year, and that it's aiming to ship four to five million units to China annually by 2011.
iPhone nabs 46 percent of Japanese smartphone market, the tiny Japanese smartphone market
So you read a headline like "iPhone grabs 46 percent of the Japanese smartphone market" and the first thing you're likely to think is, "wow, Apple is really doing well for itself." Well, it is and it isn't. While it has made some considerable gains in the smartphone market at the expense of phones like Sharp's W-ZERO3 and the Willcom 03, it still hasn't gained nearly the same total mindshare or market share that it has over here. That's because "smartphones" as we know them are still a relatively small market in Japan, where carriers' lineups consist of a whole range of offerings including everything from mobile TV-equipped phones to true camera phones to perfume holders. For a bit more context, check out the pie chart after the break courtesy of IDC Japan, which shows cellphone vendors' market share in Japan as of October of this year. The leaders by a wide margin are Sharp, Panasonic, Fujitsu and NEC with a combined 72.8% of the market, while Apple is lumped in with "Others," which add up to 22.6%. It's making inroads, to be sure, but just that at the moment.
NPD finds featurephones account for 72% of new handset sales in the US
Smartphone sales may be growing at a steady rate these days but, if NPD's latest numbers are any indication, it looks like they still have quite a ways to go before they become the norm among cellphone users. As the market research group found during its latest survey, less expensive featurephones accounted for an impressive 72% of all new handset sales in the US during the second quarter of the year, which is only a 5% drop even in the face of a 47% jump in smartphone sales (to 28% market share) over the same quarter last year -- a 14% jump in overall handset sales accounts for some of that discrepancy. According to NPD's numbers, the LG enV2 (pictured above) and Samsung Rant were among the best selling featurephones during the quarter, while the iPhone 3G and Blackberry Curve were the best selling smartphones. Other interesting tidbits include the fact that the average selling price for a phone rose 4% over the year to $87, and that WiFi capability is now found on 20% of new handsets, while 26% of new phones have touchscreens (compared to 35% with QWERTY keyboards).
