According to a recently-published report -- Japan Handset Vendor Marketshare by Operator: Q4 2014 -- posted on our Handset Country Share Tracker (HCST) service --Apple accounted for a significant 71% handset marketshare at Softbank, the 2nd largest wireless operator in Japan by volume, during Q4 2014.

Not only the larger-sized 4.7- and 5.5-inch-display iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, but the one-year-old iPhone 5S also led the growth, recording an all-time-high mobile phone marketshare at Softbank.

Sharp, who co-developed its bezel-less Aquos Crystal with Softbank, solidfied its no. 2 position at the operator, based on the strong shipments of Aquos models.

This extensive report, available to clients, tracks 17 handset vendors' marketshare by quarter at all major operators in Japan, including NTT Docomo, Softbank and KDDI.