世論 What Japan Thinks

\goo Research published a detailed report on a survey they conducted into Apple’s iPhone, with a particular focus on the largest carrier in Japan, Docomo, and their plan to carry the new iPhone5s and iPhone5c, their first foray into Apple phones.

Demographics

Between the 13th and 17th of September 2013 1,765 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 51.6% of the sample were female, 7.5% in their teens, 12.5% in their twenties, 15.9% in their thirties, 14.8% in their forties, 14.4% in their fifties, and 34.9% aged sixty or older. The percentages in each age band and both sexes reflected the results of the 2010 Census.

Again, I am quite stunned by the positive view of the general public here of the iPhone. In Q3Q3, note that in the top eight answers, only one answer is perhaps related to the quality of Android, whereas the top three in Q3Q1 seem to relate directly to the iPhone’s qualities.

Research results

Q1: Which kind of mobile phone do you use the most? (Sample size=1,765)

Non-iPhone smartphone (Android, etc)	29.4%
iPhone	18.2%
Feature phone	47.2%
Don’t have any	5.2%

Smartphones were most popular with those in their twenties; 65.8% of men (34.3% Android, 31.5% iPhone) and 72.2% of women (41.2% Android, 31.0% iPhone) had one, whereas just 15.5% of over-sixty men and 12.8% of over-sixty women had them.

Q2: Do you know that NTT Docomo will be selling the new iPhone? (Sample size=1,645)

Yes	91.2%
No	8.8%

Note that the text does not describe why the sample size shrunk between Q1 and Q2.

Q3: Are you thinking about buying the new iPhone from NTT Docomo? (Sample size=1,645)

	All	Android users N=512	iPhone users N=321	Feature phone users N=822
Already reserved it (to SQ1, SQ2)	0.1%	0.6%	0.1%	0.0%
Want to buy (to SQ1, SQ2)	3.9%	7.0%	4.0%	4.1%
Want to investigate buying it (to SQ1, SQ2)	8.5%	12.7%	6.2%	7.1%
Watch and see before deciding (to SQ3)	26.6%	26.6%	22.1%	27.5%
Don’t plan to buy (to SQ3)	60.8%	53.1%	67.6%	61.3%

Q3SQ1: Why do you want to buy the new iPhone from NTT Docomo? (Sample size=207, multiple answer)

Been waiting for Docomo to carry it	54.5%
Think it’s about time I started using a smartphone	30.4%
Think it’s about time I upgraded my phone	9.5%
Don’t like my current phone	9.5%
Want to try out the latest thing	5.1%
Used to be a Docomo customer	3.8%
Other	4.9%

Q3SQ2: When do you want to buy the new iPhone from NTT Docomo? (Sample size=207)

Already reserved	1.0%
Want to buy soon	9.8%
Want to buy in a couple of months	23.5%
Will buy within six months	27.2%
Will buy within a year	5.5%
Not decded when to buy	33.1%

Q3SQ3: Why do you not want to buy the new iPhone from NTT Docomo? (Sample size=1,437, multiple answer)

Don’t really understand the handset cost, plan pricing	30.7%
Satisfied (or not dissatisified) with my current device	29.4%
Easier to use a feature phone	24.1%
Don’t want to change carriers	19.8%
If I break my current contract I have to pay a penalty	19.0%
Feel I’d like to try it, but don’t know if I really need it	14.2%
Will decide once I hear from actual users	9.6%
Awkward to move my data, set up the environment, etc	8.9%
Android is more versatile and easy to use	8.5%
Inconvenient that Osaifu Keitai and other NFC electronic cash cannot be used	5.6%
Be problematic that I cannot use my current apps, functions	3.8%
Too many people reserving, so it looks as if I won’t be able to buy if	3.4%
Android is more mainstream worldwide	2.5%
Bandwidth is crowded so may be difficult to connect	2.3%
Can’t use music, etc, that I’ve downloaded up to now	1.7%
Other	8.4%