Self-labelled neo-Luddites and the tech-stressed are searching for phones with fewer features. Industry experts cite precarious profit margins and a wobbly market around this need.
While certainly not the majority, feature phones (known as garakei) enjoy a cult following in Japan.
Bear in mind that feature phones in Japan were a literal decade ahead of smartphones in terms of features. They already had features such as GPS, email, internet browsers latest 90s and early 2000s.
Gonna need proof of this.
Nearly everyone I met was rocking iPhones. It was kinda frustrating as a android user.
https://www.docomo.ne.jp/english/product/feature_phone/. they are still on sale and it is still popular for old people and business persons. Hell, even some flip phone model are even water resistant.
While certainly not the majority, feature phones (known as garakei) enjoy a cult following in Japan.
Bear in mind that feature phones in Japan were a literal decade ahead of smartphones in terms of features. They already had features such as GPS, email, internet browsers latest 90s and early 2000s.
The Mysteries of Japan-Only Phones — sabukaru - https://sabukaru.online/articles/the-mysterious-early-world-of-japans-cellphone-culture