Apple has nothing on it!

Japan has been one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, where companies producing smart phone applications get 100% return on their investment. This is where Apple has screwed up by introducing the Apple Tax, which unfortunately has had a negative impact on subscribers. In this case, the advanced ICT and independent app subscribers are the reasons Japanese phone market is very stable and hugely growing.

The Telegraph (Skipworth, 2009) have commented on Japanese culture saying that phone as a device has integrated with its user so much that it actually became a part of everyday life. For example, paying for a drink in a local shop can be done with a phone thanks to its integrated Felica system (essentially an electronic wallet). Japanese can board the train by tapping through barriers with thier phone and then watch morning TV on the handsets hi-def screen. Friends exchange details by infra-red business cards transferred between phones and shopping can be done by scanning barcodes from adverts on the train.

The apps level is absolutely way beyond any Western competition; a 4G stuff that has not reached the West and the US.

This is where UK companies have a completely advantaged opportunity to play with so that the country could finally start developing into the real “haves” country. (Stump, R et al, 2008)

Things like Travel cards on your phone (Oyster) or even a Starbucks Reward card for all those Starbucks lovers out there- would make a life so much more convenient! However, there are of course limitations to using this kind of advanced technology in this country. One of them is support by the government: 3G service in England is paid to be used; however in Japan it is free. On the other hand, it could possibly be that the app subscribers are not willing to pay 30% to Apple, when there are cheaper, traditional versions of providing their services.

So I guess for now we would just have to dream of the fact what could possibly be otherwise- having an Oyster card on your phone would save you queuing on a rush hour morning in London Underground; meaning that you could still have time for a Starbucks without the mad queue waiting to pay for their coffee. 

The truth is: It is predicted that by 2015 mobiles will replace PC as the most used method of access to the Internet. However, my point is that by 2015, the mobiles will replace PCs AND half of the manual services, which will convert into a mobile digital services. Hopefully, this hypothesis would not be affected by the Apple TAX.

References:

Skipworth, H, 2009. Five Japanese phones we’ll never see in the West [online]. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/mobile-phones/6537395/Five-Japanese-mobile-phones-well-never-see-in-the-West.html [Accessed 18^th February, 2011]