Japan today remains one of the world's top-5 smartphone markets by revenue. The country is an important one, especially for premium 5G models.

So, it will be alarming to Chinese smartphone brands that they are collectively losing ground in Japan. Huawei, OPPO, Xiaomi and others have long tried to break Japan, but with limited success.

We estimate Chinese handset OEMs collectively have fallen from 6% marketshare in Japan in Q2 2021 to 5% in the latest quarter of Q2 2022.

Huawei has been nudged out by international sanctions. OPPO is facing a reinvigorated Samsung. Xiaomi has been bobbing up and down like a yo-yo. Regional politics also play a part.

However, Japan is a market too big to ignore. The Chinese players MUST find a way to crack it.

Clients can view a deeper dive into Japan by cellphone OEM share by carrier, here.