Sony Mobile’s Japanese smartphone market share has hit a three-year high, widening its lead over Apple. Bloomberg is reporting that Sony has benefited from the company’s new Xperia range as well as discounting from carrier NTT DoCoMo to stimulate sales.
DoCoMo is apparently pushing just two handsets for promotions (we imagine this is the Xperia A and Xperia Z) to stimulate demand over the iPhone, which DoCoMo doesn’t carry. DoCoMo’s strategy is the first time the carrier has focused on “one or two” models, Chief Financial Officer Kazuto Tsubouchi said in an interview earlier in the year.
Researcher BCN says that Sony doubled its shipments in the last four weeks to 36 percent against Apple which had 25 percent in the same period. “Xperia sales are rising thanks to DoCoMo’s” promotion of new smartphones, says Keita Wakabayashi, analyst at Mito Securities based in Tokyo. He went on to say that the handset’s functionality also appeals to Japanese consumers. DoCoMo has sold around 630,000 Sony Xperia Z handsets within two and a half months of its introduction according to the carrier.
Via Bloomberg.
Thanks Derek!