Samsung Electronics is showing signs of recovery in the Japanese mobile phone market, where it has long struggled to gain traction. For the first time in five years since 2020, the company has climbed back into the top three for both total shipments and smartphone shipments. Growing local consumer interest in AI smartphones appears to be the primary driver behind this sales boost.
According to a report released on the February 19 by MM Research Institute (MMRI), Samsung ranked third in Japan’s mobile phone market last year, both in overall shipments including feature phones and in smartphone shipments specifically.
Apple continues to dominate the market, maintaining its top position in both total and smartphone shipments, with Google securing second place. MMRI, however, did not provide specific shipment figures.
This marks Samsung’s first return to the top three in both categories since 2020. While the company ranked third in total and smartphone shipments that year, it posted a mixed result the following year, climbing to second in smartphone shipments but slipping to fourth in total shipments, falling behind companies like Kyocera.
Samsung’s market position continued to decline, with its share in total shipments dropping to fifth place in 2022. The company remained in fourth place for both total shipments and smartphone rankings throughout 2023 and 2024.
Market analysts suggest that Samsung has successfully captured the attention of Japanese consumers by capitalizing on the slow response of local brands such as Sharp to integrate AI technology into their devices.
