TOKYO—Japanese mobile-phone shipments in March dropped by 49.7 percent to 3.12 million units compared with sales in February, the Japanese Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) reported. It was the 10th monthly consecutive decline, and the worst drop in history.
According to the JEITA, cellular phone shipments dropped by 49.4 percent, while PHS shipments dropped by 55.4 percent. The association attributed the decline to a decrease in new mobile users and in mobile users who purchase new handsets.
Seeking a breakthrough, carriers and vendors are now focusing on third-generation (3G) services. However, because the service area of 3G service is still strictly limited, some market watchers said it might take a long time for 3G to take off in Japan.
According to JEITA, mobile handset shipments in fiscal 2001, between April 2001 and March 2002, also dropped by 16.8 percent to 45.4 million.
