AfterDawn: News

Nokia withdraws from Japanese handset market

Nokia, the world's largest handset maker, had decided to withdraw from the huge Japanese cellular market, following five years of attempted gains at market share.

The company will stop developing handsets for NTT DoCoMo and Softbank Mobile, and effectively remove itself from the entire market.



Thomas Jonsson, a company spokesman, said the current global economic downturn led to the withdrawal. Jonsson said lower demand led to the company rethinking its priorities, and noting that Japan was no longer a top priority.

"We've not reached our own internal targets over a sustained period," added Jonsson.

Nokia did say they would keep an R&D center open in Japan and "continue its procurement activities" in the region.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 30 Nov 2008 16:38

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• 4 comments

• kyo28

  Like I commented in the other news where Nokia was trying to get part of the market shares in Japan: their products just aren't adapted (at all) to the wishes of Japanese consumers.

  1.12.2008 03:10 #1

• ZippyDSM

  frankly I wish soemone would start making phones with larger fonts/buttons...small is ok and all....but tiny...is stupid ...

  1.12.2008 15:43 #2

• slickwill

  Originally posted by kyo28: Like I commented in the other news where Nokia was trying to get part of the market shares in Japan: their products just aren't adapted (at all) to the wishes of Japanese consumers.This is a perfect example of how the people have the power to not support major companies and contradicts the idea that large companies have control over the consumer. But then again the companies product isn't a necessity for daily survival.

  1.12.2008 16:23 #3

• ZippyDSM

  Quote:Originally posted by kyo28: Like I commented in the other news where Nokia was trying to get part of the market shares in Japan: their products just aren't adapted (at all) to the wishes of Japanese consumers.This is a perfect example of how the people have the power to not support major companies and contradicts the idea that large companies have control over the consumer. But then again the companies product isn't a necessity for daily survival.Not quite you have a market thats not inrested in whats begin sold not it waking up one day and deciding that the crap its buying is crap and will buy something else.

  1.12.2008 16:43 #4