iPod not so big in Japan

According to a study conducted with 1,500 shops in Japan, the iPod has lost its leadership in front of Sony.
The Japanese manufacturer managed to take the lead of the segment of less than 10 GB MP3 players and bested both the iPod Shuffle and mini. Apple still leads on larger capacity players, but the company's market shares are also downsizing in front of Sony.
The coming months will let us know if this tendency is to be confirmed. In that case, slapping an Apple on players won't suffice for Cupertino to be the leader of the market. Apple will have to (at last) offer new functionalities and make its iPod more attractive than competitors' offerings.
[edited by Nate]