Samsung in Talks to Start Selling Phones in Japan Dec 16, 2005

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Korea's largest mobile phone maker could for the first time release handsets in the Japanese market. Samsung Electronics said it is in talks with leading mobile operator Vodafone Group to supply phones to the group's Japanese unit.

Vodafone is the third largest mobile operator in Japan behind NTT DoCoMo and KDDI, with a market share of 5 percent. As part of its global business plan, the group reportedly wants to expand its share in Japan, using Samsung phones because the Korean firm has made its name in most other markets around the world. Samsung has recently exceeded a production volume of 100 million cell phones.

"The talks came about because Vodafone wanted to secure a variety of handset models to satisfy consumers in Japan," a Samsung source says. "It the talks go well, we will be able to supply phones from next year."

Japan's U.S. $3.9 billion mobile phone market is dominated by local companies NEC, Panasonic and Sharp, which hold a combined market shares of some 50 percent. Among Korean companies, Pantech and Curitel started to sell its A1405PT model in Japan. (Digital Chosunilbo)

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