Japan

Still big in Japan, iPhone slips in China

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iPhone 15 Pro in iPhone market outlook
Tuesday's iiPhone market outlook reports fell short of upbeat.
Photo: Apple

A flurry of iPhone market outlook reports shows Apple’s juggernaut handset is still the top-seller in Japan while slipping to fourth place in China so far in 2024. And that comes as Apple lowers component shipment targets for the year amid supply chain challenges, pointing to a possibly down year.

Today in Apple history: Fans queue up as Apple opens Tokyo store, its first outside US

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Apple's store in Tokyo's swanky Ginza shopping district.
Apple's first non-U.S. Apple Store was located in Tokyo.
Photo: Héctor García/Kirai CC

November 30: Today in Apple history: Apple opens first store outside U.S. in Tokyo's trendy Ginza shopping district November 30, 2003: Apple expands its retail chain outside the United States for the first time, opening an Apple Store in Tokyo’s trendy Ginza shopping district.

On opening day, thousands of Apple fans — possibly the biggest queue in Apple history — line up around the block in the rain to gain early access to the store, which offers five full floors of Apple product goodness.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs does not show up for the opening of the 73rd Apple Store. However, shoppers hear a welcoming speech from Eiko Harada, president of Apple Japan.

Today in Apple history: Apple denies Steve Jobs’ love of ninja stars

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Today in Apple history: Apple denies Steve Jobs' love of ninja stars
Jobs apparently tried to take one of these on his private jet.
Photo: SecretNinjaNews

September 14: Today in Apple history: Apple denies Steve Jobs' love of ninja stars September 14, 2010: Security workers reportedly stop Steve Jobs at Japan’s Kansai International Airport. The reason? The Apple CEO supposedly tried to bring ninja throwing stars onto his private plane while heading home from vacation.

It’s one of the most bizarre Jobs stories ever. Apple, however, quickly spoils the internet’s fun. Cupertino issues a statement describing the reports as “pure fiction” (although Apple acknowledges that Jobs visited Japan over the summer).

Japan mulls antitrust investigation into Apple and Google

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App Store faces barrage of antitrust charges
Japan is weighing up a possible antitrust investigation regarding mobile OS dominance.
Photo: Sora Shimazaki/Pexels CC

Japan is the latest country to turn its antitrust attention on Apple. The Japan Times reports that the Japanese government is set to investigate both Apple and Google over their dominance in mobile operating systems.

The report, which cites a Nikkei article, is short on details. It notes that nine out of 10 phones sold in Japan run either Android or iOS. But it does not explain where the problematic aspect of this is. Typically, antitrust involves situations in which a market leader, or collusion between market leaders, results in a monopoly of a particular market. Breaking up these monopolies is intended to give customers more choice.

iPhone 12 is a monster hit in Japan

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purple iphone 12
5G has been a killer feature in Japan.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone 12 series has led a massive boom in smartphone shipments, particularly 5G models, in Japan.

According to a new report, Japan was the recipient of a 17% boost in smartphone shipments over the past 12 months. There was also a massive 40-fold increase in 5G handset shipments. Of the 5G smartphones, the iPhone 12 series made up almost half.

Half of smartphones bought in Japan in 2020 were iPhones

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iPhone 12 Pro Shiny sides
The iPhone 12 was a big hit in Japan, too.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Apple carved out a massive 52.6% of the smartphone market in Japan in the last quarter of 2020. That’s according to the latest figures released by International Data Corporation (IDC), highlighting just how far ahead of the competition Apple is.

In the fourth quarter of the year, Apple reportedly shipped more than 6 million units to Japan, increasing 13.8% year-over-year. The next closest rival, Sharp, shipped only 1.4 million phones for a 12.4% share. Samsung, Apple’s biggest competitor worldwide, managed only 781,000 units for 6.8% of the market.

Apple Maps expands Look Around coverage to a country outside U.S. for the first time

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Look Around
At a time when travel is difficult, this may legitimately be your best way to look around Japan.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple Maps’ Look Around feature, the company’s answer to Google Street View, has expanded to its first international market. Look Around is now available for four of Japan’s biggest cities — including Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagoya, and Osaka.

Apple now offers AppleCare+ monthly plans in Canada, Australia, and Japan

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2016 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and AppleCare
AppleCare+ gives you month-by-month rolling protection for your Apple device.
Photo: Apple

Apple is expanding its AppleCare+ monthly plan outside the United States for the first time. It is making it available in Canada, Japan, and Australia as well.

The month-by-month coverage hasn’t launched yet in these countries. However, Apple has revealed that it is coming to these markets in one of its official support documents.

Japan will start reopening its shuttered Apple Stores this week

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Apple new store in Japan
Apple's most recent store opened in Tokyo in September.
Photo: Apple

Apple will start reopening Apple Stores in Japan this week, following on from reopening in Australia, Germany, Austria, South Korea, Switzerland, and select stores in the United States and Italy.

Like all other non-China markets, Apple’s Japan retail stores have been closed since the middle of March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Apple woos new generation of storytellers with anime ad for Japan

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anime
"Hey Siri, WTF are they saying?"
Photo: Apple

Apple created a special new ad for customers in Japan that highlights the different ways the Mac has been showcased on some of the most popular anime shows in the country.

Cut together with scenes from shows like Mr. Osomatsu, NEW GAME!!, your name., Weathering with You and more, the brilliant ad encourages anime fans to embrace their creativity and create a new generation of anime stories.

You’ve never seen an Apple ad like this:

Health officials distribute iPhones to cruise ship hit with coronavirus

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iPhones for quarantined cruise passengers
Stranded passengers can get news and medical consultations with government-issued iPhones.
Photo: Jun Masuda/Twitter

Japanese health officials passed out some 2,000 iPhones to quarantined passengers stuck on board a cruise ship with an outbreak of coronavirus.

The iPhones will allow stranded passengers to consult with doctors, order medications and work through anxiety with mental health professionals.

Apple Pay with Express Transit en route to San Diego, Philadelphia and other cities

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Apple-Pay-Express-Transit-London
Paying for your journeys just got a lot faster.
Photo: Apple

One of the best features of Apple Pay is finally starting to roll out to more public transit systems in the U.S. next year.

After being adopted by Washington D.C. and New York City this year, Apple Pay with Express Transit mode will reportedly be adopted by Philadelphia and San Diego next year, with other major cities planning to support it out by 2023.

Tim Cook’s tasty street food odyssey continues in Thailand

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Tim Cook’s tasty street food odyssey continues in Thailand
The crab omelette's good and Apple's worth $1.2 trillion. Could life get better?
Photo: Tim Cook/Twitter

Tim Cook’s street food tour of East Asia continues. Earlier this week, Cook enjoyed a traditional breakfast in Singapore’s Tiong Bahru Market. Now he’s hopped over to Thailand, where he chowed down on some “five star” crab omelette in Bangkok with food bloggers Yota and Jira.

Oh, and visited some developers and Apple users, too. But, you know, that crab omelette!

Tim Cook pays a visit to Apple’s first store outside the US

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Tim Cook pays a visit to Apple’s first store outside the US
Apple Store Ginza opened in November 2003.
Photo: Tim Cook/Twitter CC

Tim Cook is on a business trip to Japan right now — and, as part of his travels, he paid a visit to the first Apple Store the company opened outside of the United States.

That store is located in Ginza, a trendy shopping district in Tokyo. “Our very first store outside of the US, Apple Ginza is always such a special place,” Cook tweeted. “Thanks for a wonderful visit!”

App Store prices climb in Japan as tax increases

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iOS 11 iPad Pro
Look out for the changes next month.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple will raise App Store pricing in Japan next month in line with an update to Japan Consumption Tax (JCT).

The increase will affect sales and in-app purchases, but not auto-renewable subscriptions. Only the most affordable tier priced at ¥120 will avoid the change.

The spectacular windows at Apple’s new Tokyo store look like giant iPhones

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Apple new store in Japan
Check out those beautiful rounded windows.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s opening its latest Tokyo Japanese Apple Store this weekend. To mark the occasion, it’s offering would-be shoppers a sneak peak.

In keeping with Apple’s love of embracing local culture, the new store makes use of in-store bamboo plants. There are also impressive two-story vitrine windows made from specially cast aluminum to create three-dimensional rounded corners. Resembling giant iPhones, these are the first of their kind at any Apple Store.

Check out more pictures below.

Japan’s Fair Trade Commission investigates Apple again

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Apple Japan required carriers to subsidize iPhone
Apple is accused of abusing its power with suppliers.
Photo: Apple

Japan’s Fair Trade Commission is investigating Apple’s tactics for selling iPhones in the country.

The Japanese FTC thinks Apple might have abused its power by pressuring Japanese suppliers into unfavorable deals. Questionable methods allegedly include providing free technology and expertise to Apple affiliates, stopping them from selling to other companies, and making them shoulder costs for unforeseen problems.

Apple hints at 2 new Japanese Apple Stores opening this year

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Apple Stores Japan
Apple's new logos for its Japa
Image: Apple

New images posted to Apple’s website reveal the opening of two new stores in Japan for later this year. The stylized logos are accompanied by text reading “planned for 2019.”

One of the logos uses the colors of Apple’s iconic rainbow logo. The other is a slightly retro-style logo showing the Apple logo as a series of lines with a sun-hued gradient.

HomePod is finally on its way to Japan

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HomePod market share
The new HomePod could offer a neat new feature.
Photo: Apple

Apple is gearing up to launch HomePod in Japan — more than two years after the device got its first unveiling.

Smart speaker shoppers will be able to pick one up in the coming weeks for 32,800 yen (approx. $301). HomePod will then be available in a total of 11 countries.

WWII-era dispute could ensnarl release of 2019 iPhones

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iPhone 11 rumor from Olixar
Apple could feel the fallout from a dispute between Japan and South Korea.
Photo: Olixar

Another dispute between countries looms over Apple, but this one dates back to World War II and could cause the tech giant heartburn as it readies the lineup of 2019 iPhones.

Japan will tighten export restrictions on South Korea for materials used to make smartphone chips and displays beginning Thursday. Japan imposed the rule after a court in South Korea ordered Japan’s Nippon Steel to compensate South Koreans for wartime forced labor.

iOS 13 will read NFC tags in ID cards and passports in Germany

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German-ID-card-NFC
It’s already possible if you use Android.
Photo: Bundesministerium des Innern, für Bau und Heimat

iPhone users will be able to scan German ID cards, passports, and more when iOS 13 rolls out this fall, according to local authorities.

The functionality will allow digital versions of those documents to be carried on an iOS device so that they are always accessible. Recent reports have confirmed users in Japan will be able to do the same with national ID cards.

Apple Pay Express Transit en route to London

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Apple in talks to bring Apple Pay to Israel
Apple in talks to bring Apple Pay to Israel
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple Pay Express Transit is on its way to London, giving travelers a quick and easy way to pay for rides.

Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed it is working closely with Apple to enable the feature “in the coming months.” It promises more information will be available at a later date.