Feature Phones Cannibalise Smartphones in Japan

According to data from MM Research Institute, shipments of flip-phones rose in Japan last year, for the first time in seven years, while smartphone shipments fell. Flip-phones were up 5.7% YoY, to 10.6 million, while smartphones were down 5.3% to 27.7 million. Years of deflation and the presence of Japanese brands in the flip-phone market were highlighted as reasons for Japanese consumers returning to the old models.