Samsung gains ground in Japan's iPhone-dominated market

Samsung Electronics Galaxy S25 series Courtesy of Samsung Electronics — Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S25 series/ Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

SEOUL, August 29 (AJP) - Samsung, after years of lagging behind, is starting to carve out a bigger foothold in Japan, where Apple has long towered over the smartphone market.

Samsung's Galaxy S25 series — introduced earlier this year with a slate of artificial intelligence features — has helped lift its fortunes in Japan.

Samsung’s shipments surged 60 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier, according to new data from Counterpoint Research released Friday.

For Samsung, the gains represent a rare advance in a market where Apple’s dominance has been virtually unshakable. The question now is whether Japan’s consumers — long loyal to the iPhone — are ready to make more space for a rival.

That second-quarter growth vaulted Samsung to third place in shipment-based market share at 10 percent, trailing Apple at 49 percent and Google at 11 percent.

The company rose from fifth place a year ago, while Sharp, Japan’s top domestic player, slipped to fourth as its shipments fell 28 percent and its market share dropped to 6 percent.

Samsung, which held just 6 percent of the market last year, is now on track to hit double digits for the full year, analysts say. The rise reflects growing consumer appetite in Japan for AI-equipped phones, boosting demand not only for the premium Galaxy S25 but also for Samsung’s more affordable Galaxy A line.

The momentum has also been visible in the rollout of Samsung’s foldable devices.

Its new Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7, launched in Japan on Aug. 1, took the top two sales spots at NTT Docomo’s online store in their debut week.

Lim Jaeho ajupresswogh@ajupress.com