世論 What Japan Thinks

goo Research recently conducted their 47th regular mobile phone upgrade needs survey.

Demographics

Between the 22nd and 26th of June 2009 exactly 1,000 mobile phone-using members of the goo Research monitor panel completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.6% of the sample were female, 1.8% in their teens, 18.5% in their twenties, 34.0% in their thirties, 26.8% in their forties, and 18.9% aged fifty or older.

I’ve had a look at this summer’s models, and the first one to catch my eye was the Toshiba T-01A offered through docomo, but it doesn’t fit into my hand and feels cheap and flimsy, and it’s not up to spec for Japan; it looks like a rebadged US phone, but apparently it isn’t. Next is the new HTC HT-03A, the very first Google Android phone for Japan, which is extremely comfortable to hold, but again it is missing most of the standard Japanese features like One Seg television, FeliCa electronic cash, and emoji. I also had a look at the Biblio also from Toshiba and au, touted as an electronic book reader as well as a phone, but I was struck by how heavy it felt. It looks like I’ll be keeping my very old P702iD for a few more months until one of the Japanese manufacturers comes out with a proper Android phone with all the add-ons we expect to see in Japan.

Research results

Q1: Which mobile carrier do you use? If more than one, choose the main one. (Sample size=1,000)

NTT docomo	49.2%
au by KDDI	27.9%
SoftBank	18.7%
Willcom	4.0%
E-Mobile	0.2%

Q2: Are you dissatisfied with your current mobile phone carrier? (Sample size=1,000)

Very much so (to SQ)	5.6%
To some degree (to SQ)	19.0%
A little (to SQ)	41.0%
Not at all	20.6%
Can’t say either way	13.8%

Q2SQ: What are you dissatisfied with? (Sample size=656, multiple answer)

	Votes	Percentage
Voice call charges	334	50.9%
Data packet changes	300	45.7%
Voice call discount packages	137	20.9%
Difficult to connect, get cut off easily	134	20.4%
Don’t have the models I want	119	18.1%
Data packet discount packages	113	17.2%
Data transmission speed	69	10.5%
Not enough of the services I want	60	9.1%
Small service area	60	9.1%
Dissatisfied with mobile phone shop	52	7.9%
Voice call quality	46	7.0%
Maker I like doesn’t offer a phone	36	5.5%
Aftercare	36	5.5%
Not enough of the basic content that I want	30	4.6%
Image of the carrier	20	3.0%
Other	88	13.4%

Q3: Are you planning on upgrading to one of the new summer models? (Sample size=1,000)

Already bought	1.5%
Plan to buy	4.4%
Want to buy, but no definite plans	40.2%
Don’t want to buy	36.6%
Didn’t know the summer models had been announced	17.3%