Apple's Fortress in Japan
In a crowd of 2,000 Japanese people, 1,400 carry an iPhone. 70% — higher than any country except the US. Samsung, which dominates South Korea, barely registers in Japan. A Korean company invisible in its nearest neighbor. The phone in your pocket reveals the invisible borders of the region: Apple owns the developed East, Samsung owns home.
Did you know
Japan is Apple's most loyal market on Earth — roughly 70% of Japanese smartphones are iPhones, higher than the US. This despite Japan being home to Sony, Sharp, and Fujitsu, who together make up most of the remaining 30%. Japanese consumers value the iPhone's reliability and the iMessage ecosystem, but the dominance also reflects something cultural: in a society where standing out is avoided, the choice most people make becomes self-reinforcing.