Japan in Love With Google Pixel, Market Share Explodes by 527%

Fresh market share figures are making their way online this week, with one specific number essentially blowing our minds. But before we dive into the new numbers, it’s important we give them some context on why they are so impressive. Let’s go back a couple of years, shall we?

The year is 2022 and Google holds a lowly 1.5% of the smartphone market share in Japan with its Pixel line. It’s a harder market for outsider brands to thrive in, with local giants such as Sony and Sharp continually pumping out popular Android phones. Cut to 2023 and the release of the Pixel 7a. The phone apparently spoke to the Japanese market, with market share figures in Q3 already telling a very good story for Google and Pixel phones.

Now with 2023 closed, we can officially report that Pixel market share skyrocketed by 527%, according to data collected by IDC. While literally every other maker saw a decline in growth, Google came up big and snatched the #2 Android OEM spot (10.7%) right behind Sharp at 10.9%.

To give you an idea of the losses felt by other companies, take a look at the below graph.

The people who analyze the reasons for this growth seem to have a few ideas on why this is happening. For one, Pixel phones are good. They have stellar cameras, good software and support for said software, plus the pricing on these devices is attractive. The competition is also reason for this success. According to analysts, brands such as FCNT (owned by Lenovo) and Kyocera are having trouble keeping up with the “product development and competitiveness.”

No matter the reason, as Pixel fans and Android enthusiasts in general, it’s good to see Google moving some product.

// Piunika Web | IDC