The Jeff Beckham Weblog

Wired News reports that even though cellphones in Japan have become increasingly difficult to use, and that their owners only use 5 to 10 percent of the functions available, the complexity of the devices remains a positive to buyers.

When the iPhone hits Japan later this year, it’s possible that the simplicity of that device would be a turn-off to consumers there.

“It doesn’t have 3G, the camera is only 2 megapixels, and it lacks fun little features like mobile wallet functions and an LED flashlight,” journalist Nobi Hayashi said. “It may sell modestly as a smart phone or as an upgraded iPod, but it’s not quite cutting it as a competitor in our mobile-based culture.”

It’s an interesting look into the Japanese culture, where people experiment with different key combinations to kill time during long commutes and discover cool features hidden deep within the phone’s complicated menu system.

While there’s a sharp contrast between the Japanese fondness for technical specifications and complexity and the U.S. trend toward simplicity, there is another angle that the two cultures share. A shiny new device serves as a social object — a conversation piece that draws like-minded people together.

“Cellphones are always part of any conversation,” Daiji Hirata, an executive at News2u Corporation said. “People are always using them and holding them, even in the middle of a meal, so they might not think you’re hip if you’re carrying an old one.”