Apple are continuing their mission to roll out the iPhone to all corners of the globe, with Asia the next territory on their compass. The iPhone was phenomenally successful on their home turf, with impressive sales in Northern America, while Europe didn’t quite take to it with such enthusiasm. Will Asia be a good territory for Apple, echoing the success of the iPod, or will it fall flat?

The amount of press coverage, and Internet chatter surrounding the American launch of the iPhone was phenomenal, partly because the USA is obviously Apple’s own backyard, and also because it was new, innovative, and exciting.

By the time the iPhone found it’s way over the Atlantic ocean and landed in Britain, the reaction was a bit more muted. The Apple enthusiasts lapped it up of course, but the rest of the population looked up from the Sony Walkman, or Nokia phones, showed a pique of interest, and then went back to their business. Some people would have already imported unlocked iPhones by then, but most were just not willing to pay the price demanded, and disliked the idea of being forced to go with 02 as their network.

Then it was France and Germany’s turn, where the locked in network problem was overcome by local laws demanding competition and fairness forcing Apple to offer the iPhone unlocked and available on rival networks.

Now Apple has its sights set firmly on Asia, with plans being discussed to launch the iPhone in Japan, South Korea, and the potentially huge untapped market that is China.

Apple is reportedly in talks with NTT DoCoMo, Japan’s number one wireless company, for them to be the network which Japanese consumers would have to use to grab an iPhone. DoCoMo currently has roughly half the market share, and there’s no doubt it’s marketing muscle would encourage the Japanese to buy the iPhone in droves.

I do however, think that Apple may have a hard time in Japan, because the market is so competitive, and the consumers so tech savvy, that any shortfall of the product, or mistake with the launch, could cost them dear.

It’s also widely reported that Apple are after the same sort of deal on iPhone sales revenue, which it has obtained in the United States, and Europe. In Asia however, this seems to be the main sticking point in negotiations.

Apple are also in talks with China Mobile, the market leader in the Asian country seen to be the next big market avilable to technology hardware companies. Mobile phones are becoming increasingly popular in China, and it’s estimated there will be 500 million mobile users there in a few years time.

The iPhone will clearly launch in Asia next year, but it remains to be seen how the countries being targeted take to the product. The iPod did very well in Japan, but whether the iPhone can repeat the same sort of success is questionable.

Related:

Apple iPhone sales below expectations in UK

Accessories makers place big bets on iPhone

Oscar launch of Apple iPhone (commercial)

Apple posts $1 billion quarterly profit: can its good fortune continue?

Apple sells 500,000 iPhones over weekend

Entry was posted on Thursday, December 20th, 2007 at 6:33 pm under Apple, China, Japan, Mobile phones, Opinion.  Print This Post

Read more entries by Dave Parrack.
Stumble It!