The presence of Japanese-made smartphones keeps shrinking amid fierce competition with foreign rivals.

Trounced by U.S. technology giant Apple Inc.'s iPhones in terms of performance and pressured by inexpensive products of other foreign makers, a number of domestic firms have pulled the plug on the smartphone business.

In the most recent case, FCNT Ltd., the successor to Fujitsu Ltd.'s mobile phone business, went bust late last month by filing for court protection under the civil rehabilitation law.

According to the MM Research Institute, Apple had an overwhelming shipment share in Japan of 50.4% in fiscal 2022, which ended in March, followed by Japan's Sharp Corp. and Sony Corp., and South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co.

Although FCNT's share increased 0.9 percentage point from the previous year to 8.0 pct, the fifth largest, driven by its mainstay "arrows" series, its balance sheet had deteriorated amid intensified competition with cheap foreign products.