Japan's smartphone market has managed to rebound and return to the pre-virus levels. This rapid recovery was driven by the latest iPhone SE and many other mid-and low-end smartphones aimed at increasingly cost-sensitive consumers. Moreover, the country’s overall consumer sentiment started to improve slowly in Q3 2020 as the Japanese government avoided strict measures that would have impacted the economy.

While Apple, the top smartphone player in Japan, saw its market share decline to 45% in Q3 2020 from 50% a year ago due to the delayed iPhone 12 launch.

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Apple’s iPhone sales were driven by the iPhone SE 2020, which solely captured 26% of the total market in Q3 2020. The iPhone SE 2020 offers compact design — appealing to the iPhone users who prefer small displays with new hardware — at low prices. The combination of these attractive features led to remarkable results in the wake of the pandemic.

The iPhone 12 to drive the Japanese market

Counterpoint expects Q4 2020 to maintain momentum, led by the iPhone 12, which was released during this quarter. The iPhone 12’s initial sales have been strong, signaling its Q4 sales will outperform those of the iPhone 11. We see multiple factors in play for the potential success of the iPhone 12 – the first 5G iPhone, pent-up demand created by the pandemic, and a large number of iPhone users wanting to replace their devices. For more, read the full Counterpoint report.