More often than not, the Japanese market is exposed to cutting-edge technology before the rest of the world. But said technology doesn’t always necessarily “take off” internationally, and in the case of new “Twitter phones” in the Land of the Rising Sun, it will be interesting to see just how far the devices can go.

“Softbank, the third largest carrier in Japan, announced on (May 18) what are effectively ‘Twitter phones,’ using the app as a key marketing and sales driver,” wrote Dave Rosenberg of CNET News (May 18). “Twitter will be preinstalled on all 13 models rolling out this summer, either as an application or widget on the phones’ homepage.”

Rosenberg lists the following reasons why Twitter has enjoyed much success in Japan:

• The majority of residents in big cities commute via public transportation.
• Thus, they have plenty of time to play games and communicate on their mobile devices.
• Surveys have shown that many people feel their mobile phone is enough; they don’t bother with a PC or other device.

“Twitter has experimented with advertising on its Japanese site, and also has a partnership with Digital Garage to support growth in Japan, including commercialization and subscription efforts,” Rosenberg adds.

Facebook launches 0.facebook.com: Mobile site incurs zero data fees

Also on May 18, Jason Kincaid of TechCruch.com reported that Facebook launched “0.facebook.com”, a special mobile-only site that can be accessed free of charge on select international carriers.

“The lightweight site omits photos but includes core functionality like News Feed, status updates, profile Walls and messaging,” wrote Kincaid. “And most importantly, Facebook has partnered with over 50 mobile carriers to offer free access to the site, without any data fees.”

Social media up 230% since 2007

“The love affair between Internet-connected Americans and social networks continues, with two-thirds claiming to visit sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, up about 230 percent from the 20 percent penetration in 2007, and 43 percent are visiting these sites more than once a day,” according to a new report by Experian Simmons,” wrote Alison Diana of InformationWeek (June 28).

Some highlights from the Simmons New Media study:

• Multiple daily visits to social networking sites are up 28 percent compared with last year.
• As of April 26, 2010, 46 percent of the U.S. online adult population reported having visited Facebook in the last 30 days.
• 90 percent of connected 18 to 34-year-olds visit social networks every month, compared with 41 percent of people aged 50-plus.

- newsletter@iQmetrix.com

* To read more about Mobile Social Networking, check out the following articles from iQmetrix News & Views:

Use Twitter to Monitor Customer Tastes

How to Use Twitter for your Wireless Business

Companies Using Twitter as Customer Relations Tool

Use Facebook to Promote Your Wireless Business

New Options for Offering Mobile Coupons