Japan officially kills off the 2G phone
The end is nigh for 2G - in Japan at least. According to AFP, figures from the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association have revealed that during January, over four million mobiles were shipped in Japanese stores, but for the first time not a single one of those devices was a 2G model.
AFP also notes that Japan is second country to stop shipping 2G handsets after South Korea, with nearly 85 percent of Japanese users now sporting 3G mobiles. It puts North America and Western Europe in the shade at 50 and 10 percent respectively. Meanwhile, according to other reports suggest DoCoMo is stopping signing up users wanting 2G mova subscriptions.
I guess in Japan the death of 2G was always on the cards in the short term for Japan and it’s no great surprise either that South Korea has gone before it. Hands up if you think the iPhone will be 3G for its Asian launch…
50% 3G penetration in North America? Really? I would’ve thought it was 50% Western Europe and10% North America!
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Posted by Martin on March 12th, 2008 at 10:19 am.[...] via SMS Text News [...]
Posted by R.I.P. 2G | metaend on March 12th, 2008 at 10:24 am.Well… If it’s launching over there then I can see Apple quickly raming in the 3G for them. I think the UK should take note and start selling more 3G phones and less 2G ones. But I think that because 3G coverage is so low in the areas where it is, (and suffers inside). Us brits are just not bothering much. Our 4 Network Operators need to get theirselfs sorted.
Posted by james vincent on March 12th, 2008 at 11:00 am.I love it.
It’s like living in the ‘middle’ of time. The US stuck behind on EDGE, Europe just hitting the boundaries of what’s possible with HSUPA going live in London City and now Japan way ahead with their disposal of the 2G network…
Cool.
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Posted by James Whatley on March 12th, 2008 at 12:07 pm.Have they figured anything out about the battery life?
Also note, some carriers in the US don’t even offer 3g phones to their subscribers yet… And Japan won’t allow them at all. Interesting comparison.
Posted by Giff Gfroerer, i2SMS on March 12th, 2008 at 1:36 pm.