Many consider Japan to be the historical gold standard for mobile cell phone culture. It’s easy to see why. In 1979, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (more commonly known as NTT) launched the world’s first commercially automated cellular network. By the end of the 20th century, the country achieved another milestone in equipping Japanese cell phones with internet browsing capabilities, which were at that time, the only cell phones in the world to come with colour displays, MP3 players integrated cameras and radios. Industry firsts were pioneered and standardized in Japan, as its wireless infrastructure has since come to support phones that feature digital television, GPS tracking, bar code reading, video conferencing, face recognition and the abilities to function as a credit card or a boarding pass (among countless other features).

Though the vast majority outside Japan gape in shock at the bevy of features Japanese cell phones offer, the sophistication and complexity that make Japanese cell phones so unique are inextricably putting their own existence at risk. Such has been known as the Galapagos Syndrome: cell phones exclusive to Japan, too complicated to be able to survive anywhere outside their home environment.

Although Japanese cell phone manufacturers have sought opportunities abroad in the face of a shrinking domestic market, no Japanese cell phone manufacturer (with the exception of Sony Ericsson)  has been able to hawk its wares internationally to much success. Why?

Reason 1: Compatibility with the World

Japanese phone manufacturers have refused to adapt to the needs and restrictions of markets overseas despite the nonexistence of the wireless infrastructure demanded by their phones. 1seg. Wireless ticketing. The credit card function. All these features aren’t support by wireless carriers outside Japan, yet Japanese phone manufacturers have been reluctant in finding alternative solutions for wireless markets abroad.

Japan’s preference for CDMA over GSM doesn’t help its cause. As the international standard for telecommunications, GSM is used in more countries and is supported by more carriers than CDMA is. Unfortunately, part of the reason CDMA is used in Japan is because of the restrictive nature of CDMA itself, which locks the use of a phone exclusively into a wireless carrier as soon as you sign up. Sure, some Japanese phones are GSM capable, but these are the exception to the rule rather than norm.

Reason II: Product Lines

Visit any Japanese wireless carrier’s website and you’ll be overwhelmed by their needlessly expansive lines of virtually identical phones. The development of each phone is also a costly and time consuming endeavour, as each phone and its respective user interface are developed from the ground up despite visible and functional similarities.

Bottom lines and chances of success abroad would surely improve if Japanese phone manufacturers were to focus all of their time, effort and resources into cutting down and streamlining the swathe of phones currently offered into a single quality product (i.e. Apple’s iPhone).

Reason III: The Clamshell

The clamshell design is characteristic of most Japanese cell phones. It is also a liability. Though still wildly popular in Japan, the clamshell design has been around since the advent of the mobile phone and being considered antiquated by some measure, aren’t selling anywhere else en masse.

Consequently, neither are Japanese cell phones.

Reason IV: Software, Software, Software

Although the hardware used in Japanese phones is light years ahead of anything offered by foreign manufacturers, a clunky and often user unfriendly interface prevents the complete realization of the phone’s full potential.

Japanese phone makers have begun to address the issue in adapting open source mobile operating system Android, which allow them to not only save boatloads of cash in R&D, but gives their phones access to more than 70 000 applications and regular updates (and improvements) to the way users interact with their phones.

Conclusion

Though the Galapagosization of Japanese cell phones have assisted in developing an identity unique from cell phones found elsewhere in the world, it has led to missed business opportunities abroad and hyper-advanced phones that no one outside of Japan can use. The key to survival lies in untapped foreign markets. How Japan finds their way into these markets is anyone’s guess, but one can hope that resolving the four issues above will stop the divergent evolution of Japanese cell phones, and in such, hopefully bring these companies back to being at the cutting edge of the technological world.