Although we have seen the rise of waterproof smartphones in the more contemporary market, but in Japan, these phones have been the norm for a decade! According to a survey, over 90% to 95% of phones in Japan are waterproof, simply because people have developed a habit of taking their phone where ever the go, even while they are showering!
As a result, the world’s first ever waterproof phone, the Casio Canu 502S, was built in Japan in 2005. After that competitors such as Fujitsu had to start their own waterproof handhelds to remain competitive in the market. Even Japanese version of LG or Samsung, which are not known for their waterproof phones in the global market, were forced to adapt for the Japanese market.
Ken Hong, LG’s global communications director,
“In Japan, being waterproof is far more important than being able to remove your phone’s battery. For a smaller Korean brand like LG, we need to be able to check all the key boxes to be as attractive as possible to Japanese consumers.”
This is one of the reasons why LG didn’t launch their newest flagship, the modular G5 phone in Japan, as making it waterproof phone was simply not feasible.
Panasonic executive Taro Itakura also made a similar comment,
“In Japan, you can’t sell a phone if it’s not waterproof. About 90 to 95 percent of all phones sold now are already waterproof. Why? This is very unique — young Japanese women prefer to use their cellphones even when taking their showers, cellphones have become ‘must products.”
What are your phone using habits? Surely you don’t use them in the shower, or do you?
Let us know in the comments’ section below!
