Galaxy S Soars in Japan Thanks to Animation Fans

Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S smartphone is selling like hot cakes in Japan, the land of manga, thanks to its bright, vibrant display.

In its debut week at the end of October, Samsung's flagship smartphone dethroned the Apple iPhone 4 as the top-selling cell phone in the country. Customers have to wait more than a week to receive the device as its exclusive distributor in Japan, NTT DoCoMo, has sold out its initial supply of 50,000 units.

One of the main reasons for its huge popularity is the voracious appetite for cartoons and comic books among many Japanese consumers. The Galaxy S' AMOLED screen is more vibrant and sharp than LCD displays. The color reproduction is very realistic, and the contrast of light and dark is not affected by brightness or viewing angle, offering a clear picture even in bright lighting. This makes it an excellent device for viewing comic books or animations.

"Praise for the Galaxy S' fantastic colors has spread via word of mouth in Japan, fueling its sensational popularity," Samsung said.

The passion for animation has also led to a sharp increase in sales of microSD flash memory cards, which are used to store data on smartphones. According to market researcher Gartner, worldwide microSD shipments are expected to increase from 471 million cards in 2009 to 821 million in 2013, at an annual growth rate of 16 percent. Many Japanese consumers fill up 16GB microSD cards with cartoons and animations to view them on their mobile devices.

Riding on the back of the Galaxy S' strong sales, Samsung overtook Taiwan's HTC to rank as the number four smartphone maker worldwide in the third quarter.