4 ms·

Why the Japanese Hate the iPhone

37 points by peter123 18y ago

GHFigs 18y ago
Linkbait article title about an Apple product at wired.com? I'm guessing it's another Brian Chen troll.
vladimir 18y ago
The question is: should we adapt technology according to national characteristics, Technology seems to make cultural borders disappear, but sometimes these borders are very strong.
- jherdman 18y ago
  > Technology seems to make cultural borders disappear, [...] Can you expand on this? I'm uncertain as to what you mean.
  - Zev 18y ago
    I think the gist of what he's saying is that no matter where you go (caveat: cities or suburbs), you can find a cell phone with reception, electricity, television and so on. The products may be made by a local company, but they're clearly identifiable and not limited to one particular civilization.
- chiffonade 18y ago
  > Technology seems to make cultural borders disappear, but sometimes these borders are very strong. That's because the media insists on redrawing the borders to make foreigners (especially ones with slanty eyes) appear as different from you as humanly possible.
cubix 18y ago
I find the minimalist lines of the iPhone much more pleasing than the Panasonic P905i, which except for the colour perhaps, looks pretty commonplace: http://www.feelphones.com/2008/01/02/panasonic-p905i-pictures/ http://www.feelphones.com/2008/01/02/panasonic-p905i-picture...
gustowind 18y ago
Created accounted just to say this: Titles like this are not only terrible generalizations, but they are completely misinformed (the 2 not being mutually exclusive). I live in Tokyo, and I can tell you, more than a few people have an iPhone. It's popular to the point that its ridiculous. Now you may wonder why are the sales are so poor. A casual walk into a mobile shop will show you. It's variety. There are too many phones to choose from. While the iPhone still wins hands down in sleekness, there are a host of other decent phones (with greater capabilities) to choose from. So there is no 'hate' involved, it just boils down to market saturation of comparable phones. Apple took a piss in the sea...no surprises on the results.
- patio11 18y ago
  Indeed. Plus, any "Japanese hate American products because they're cultural elitists" meme needs to minimally pretend that the freaking iPod doesn't exist. iPod had something like a 60% share within months of being launched while competing against like likes of Sony on their home turf.
  - RK 18y ago
    Is it true that Korean brands like Samsung don't sell at all?
    - patio11 18y ago
      Samsung's problem is not that they are Korean, it is that they are Samsung. I'm looking at the top selling MP3 players on Amazon.co.jp right now. There are products in the top 10 from Transcend (India?!), Creative(Singapore), Cowon (Korea), Apple (USA), and Toshiba(Japan).
- rgrieselhuber 18y ago
  I'm also in Japan and I found myself wondering how deep the author's experience went in Japan. I've never heard the iPhone described as unfashionable, for starters. I agree about the sheer variety of phones. I think battery life is also a concern. Aside from that though, I think it will just take time. I haven't heard anyone say they hate it and quite a few people either have one or want one.
baddox 18y ago
This makes me wonder: what are the most popular phones (especially "hip" smartphones) in Japan?

37 points by peter123 18y ago

Linkbait article title about an Apple product at wired.com? I'm guessing it's another Brian Chen troll.

The question is: should we adapt technology according to national characteristics, Technology seems to make cultural borders disappear, but sometimes these borders are very strong.

jherdman 18y ago
> Technology seems to make cultural borders disappear, [...] Can you expand on this? I'm uncertain as to what you mean.
- Zev 18y ago
  I think the gist of what he's saying is that no matter where you go (caveat: cities or suburbs), you can find a cell phone with reception, electricity, television and so on. The products may be made by a local company, but they're clearly identifiable and not limited to one particular civilization.
chiffonade 18y ago
> Technology seems to make cultural borders disappear, but sometimes these borders are very strong. That's because the media insists on redrawing the borders to make foreigners (especially ones with slanty eyes) appear as different from you as humanly possible.

cubix 18y ago

I find the minimalist lines of the iPhone much more pleasing than the Panasonic P905i, which except for the colour perhaps, looks pretty commonplace: http://www.feelphones.com/2008/01/02/panasonic-p905i-pictures/ http://www.feelphones.com/2008/01/02/panasonic-p905i-picture...

gustowind 18y ago

Created accounted just to say this: Titles like this are not only terrible generalizations, but they are completely misinformed (the 2 not being mutually exclusive). I live in Tokyo, and I can tell you, more than a few people have an iPhone. It's popular to the point that its ridiculous. Now you may wonder why are the sales are so poor. A casual walk into a mobile shop will show you. It's variety. There are too many phones to choose from. While the iPhone still wins hands down in sleekness, there are a host of other decent phones (with greater capabilities) to choose from. So there is no 'hate' involved, it just boils down to market saturation of comparable phones. Apple took a piss in the sea...no surprises on the results.

patio11 18y ago
Indeed. Plus, any "Japanese hate American products because they're cultural elitists" meme needs to minimally pretend that the freaking iPod doesn't exist. iPod had something like a 60% share within months of being launched while competing against like likes of Sony on their home turf.
- RK 18y ago
  Is it true that Korean brands like Samsung don't sell at all?
  - patio11 18y ago
    Samsung's problem is not that they are Korean, it is that they are Samsung. I'm looking at the top selling MP3 players on Amazon.co.jp right now. There are products in the top 10 from Transcend (India?!), Creative(Singapore), Cowon (Korea), Apple (USA), and Toshiba(Japan).
rgrieselhuber 18y ago
I'm also in Japan and I found myself wondering how deep the author's experience went in Japan. I've never heard the iPhone described as unfashionable, for starters. I agree about the sheer variety of phones. I think battery life is also a concern. Aside from that though, I think it will just take time. I haven't heard anyone say they hate it and quite a few people either have one or want one.

baddox 18y ago

This makes me wonder: what are the most popular phones (especially "hip" smartphones) in Japan?