iPad selling 3X faster in Japan than iPhone 3G did

Apple's strong Japanese iPad launch may have given it a large piece of the entire local computer market, analysts at BCN discovered today. If the tablet is counted as a computer, it would almost triple Apple's market share in Japan from 3.5 percent in April to 11.5 percent in May. The spike would help Apple overtake Sony's 9.3 percent and make it the fourth largest computer company on the island nation.

Toshiba, Fujitsu and NEC still have significant leads at 22.1, 17.4 and 16 percent each, but all of these will have declined due to the iPad's presence in the market.

Despite making estimates, BCN didn't detail the exact numbers. As context, however, it explained that the iPad sold about three times as quickly in its first 10 days as the iPhone 3G did when it first reached Japan in 2008. It also hinted that real figures might lean more in Apple's favor as these didn't include iPad or iPhone sales at Apple's own retail stores or those at SoftBank, both some of the most important outlets for the devices. It did say that 55 percent of the sales were of the 3G version despite the Japanese iPad's SIM lock and the higher price.

Why Japanese have adopted iPads in disproportionately high numbers isn't known but may reflect both on a halo effect from the iPhone and local culture. Japanese have historically been more responsive to small computers and have been much more likely than most Westerners to depend solely on a phone or similar device for e-mail. The iPad is still dependent on a computer for backup and sync, but its compact size even compared to a netbook, along with its ease of use, may be important factors. [via Tech-On]

By Electronista Staff