A decade ago, flip phones were all the rage, but fast forward to today and it seems as if what’s old is new again, at least in the nation of Japan, where there is a sort of flip phone craze unfolding.
Data released by market researcher MM Research Institute (via Reuters) highlights that flip phone shipments actually increased last year for the very first time in close to a decade. Here’s what is surprising many analysts: the demand for smartphones declined for the second consecutive year.
According to another report by the Japanese ministry of telecommunications, flip phone shipments jumped 5.7 percent to 10.58 million in 2014, while smartphone shipments tumbled 5.3 percent to 27.7 million.
What does this suggest then? Well, Japanese consumers are rather indifferent to the various features and intricate technical details that are affiliated with the latest model of the Samsung Galaxy or Apple iPhone. They just want something simple to text a friend, call their mother or receive a voicemail.
Others say that Japanese consumers are frugal and the overall economy, which the government has unsuccessfully tried to overhaul with the introduction of Abenomics, has been sluggish for the past year since the sales tax hike. Of course, observers can’t forget the economic powerhouse’s “lost decade.”
Panasonic and NEC are Japanese electronics manufacturers that stepped away from the smartphone industry because of the widespread success of Samsung and Apple. With that being said, business is so big for flip phones that these companies decided to still fill in this demand because the market is booming. LG and Samsung are also still manufacturing flip phones.
It has been warned, however, that 2014 was a huge year for renewals in the subscription cycle for flip phones. This means that last year’s strong growth may not actually be duplicated this year.
Are we on the cusp of the re-adoption of the flip phone? Well, it depends on your location. If you’re in the United States or Canada then smartphones will account for at least three quarters of all mobile devices. But if you’re in any of the emerging markets, like India, then flip phones will still remain prevalent.
Internationally, flip phones are pretty much even in terms of sales compared to smartphones. This is because the cellphone market has only recently started to take off in developing countries. However, this may change in the coming years because of low-cost smartphones.
In the meantime, it may be safer to own a flip phone, too. CNBC reports that the value of a flip phone is so low that muggers don’t even bother to sell them.
Nevertheless, there is still a market to cater to because some consumers just want a phone to be a phone, says Eddie Hold, vice president of connected intelligence for NPD Group. “There’s a certain segment of the market that just wants a phone to be a phone,” he said. “They’re much cheaper to own … and you’re not butt-dialing anyone, which is a huge advantage.”
Are you stick and tired of the endless app updates, security infiltration and the radiation? Maybe it’s time to downgrade to a flip phone.