JAPAN DATA: Shipments of mobile handsets in the domestic market in
August were up 49.5% on year, totaling 3.053 million units, staying
above three million for three months in a row, thanks to strong demand
for smartphones, data released by the Japan Electronics and Information
Technology Industries Association showed. Shipments rose 25.4% on year
in July, posting the first gain in four months after -17.5% in June and
-31.9% in May. Shipments of PHS (personal handy-phone systems) rose
59.8% on year, posting gains for 13 months in a row. PHS networks worked
better than other mobile systems in the wake of the March earthquake
disaster. Shipments of other types of mobile handsets were up 49.1%,
showing the second straight monthly y/y rise.