According to latest research from our Handset Country Share Tracker service, Apple registered its record high marketshare in the Japanese smartphone market. Apple was the top supplier in two out of three Japanese operators during the quarter. Sony was one of the fastest growing smartphone OEM capturing sceond spot as Xperia Z became one of the best selling smartphone models during the quarter.

Domestic brands such as Fujitsu, Sharp, NEC, Panasonic faced tough competition from the growing clout and shelf share of foreign brands, thanks to the global coverage, mindshare of popular sub-brands and flagship models such as Galaxy, Optimus, One, Razr and others.

Meanwhile, NTT Docomo remained the top smartphone operator benefitting from the rising wave of its Xi branded LTE smartphone sales whereas Softbank and KDDI (au) continued to compete closely for the second spot.

Research: Japan Smartphone Vendor Marketshare by Operator: Q1 2013 (Link)