Japan Dec Handset Shipments Soar, Demand Seen Robust
Japan’s domestic shipments of cell phones posted year-on-year growth for the second straight month in December, an industry body said on Thursday, as new-model camera phones breathed life into a saturating market.
EXTRACT:Handset shipments gained 27.1 percent from the same month a year earlier to 3.96 million units, the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) said. CONTINUE
COMMENTARY: Demand is predicted to remain strong, especially for upgrades and conversion of existing subscribers as 2003 sees new handsets come to market featuring million-pixel cameras and other advanced features. Japan’s three leading carriers launched a total of 8 new models in November and December of 2002. Note that handset shipments had fallen year-on-year for 17 consecutive months until October 2002.