NTT DoCoMo Ends 3G FOMA and i-mode, Closing Japan's 3G Era
About 500,000 users and over 400 device models are affected as the carrier's March shutdown accelerates the decline of the Garakei feature phone.
NTT DoCoMo shut down its 3G mobile service FOMA and its mobile internet service i-mode in March, ending its legacy 3G network and completing Japan's 3G shutdown, according to digitaltoday.co.kr. The carrier is Japan's largest.
The closure is accelerating the disappearance of the traditional foldable feature phone known in Japan as the "Garakei." About 500,000 users and more than 400 device models in the country are estimated to be affected by the 3G shutdown.
Japan's other major carriers had already retired their 3G networks: KDDI's au ended its 3G service in 2022, and SoftBank followed in 2024.
Feature phones fade as smartphones dominate
According to NTT DoCoMo's Mobile Society Research Institute, the smartphone share among Japanese mobile phone users exceeded 90% in 2021 and reached 98.3% this year.
MM Research Institute data showed feature phone shipments in the first half of fiscal 2025 were 343,000 units, down 25.3% year-on-year. Manufacturers such as Kyocera have released "Garaho" flip phones combining Android OS and 4G to continue the lineage.
Quick answers
What did NTT DoCoMo shut down?
NTT DoCoMo shut down its 3G mobile service FOMA and its mobile internet service i-mode in March, ending its legacy 3G network.
How many users are affected by Japan's 3G shutdown?
About 500,000 users and more than 400 device models in Japan are estimated to be affected.
What is a Garakei?
Garakei is the Japanese term for the traditional foldable feature phone, whose disappearance is being accelerated by the 3G shutdown.