Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/31
By: Jeffrey Wu and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Jan. 31 (CNA) Taiwan’s Asustek Computer Inc. topped Japan’s

(CNA file photo)

SIM-free cell phone market in 2015 with a 28.6 percent share, helped by the company’s ZenFone smartphone series, according to Tokyo-based market research firm BCN Inc.

In the unlocked cell phone market in Japan, Huawei Technologies Co. (華為) from China took the second largest market share, which stood at 23.8 percent, followed by the 15.9 percent of South Korea’s LG Electronics Inc., statistics released by BCN on Jan. 29 showed.

Wireless carriers in Japan lifted the network restriction on their subscribers in May 2015. Thanks to the new measure, smartphones and tablets can be sold in that country with unlocked SIM cards, at the customer’s request and at no extra cost. This allows subscribers on a two-year contract to sign up for alternative plans, if they wish.     [FULL  STORY]