Gartner: Apple's iPhone was No. 3 worldwide smartphone in 2009

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
After more than doubling its total sales from a year prior, the iPhone platform was catapulted into third place in global smartphone sales in 2009, with Apple shipping 24.9 million handsets.



Apple took an estimated 14.4 percent of the total mobile operating system market, according to Gartner, which put it behind only Nokia's Symbian platform, which had 46.9 percent on 80.9 million sales, and Research in Motion, which carried 19.9 percent with 34.3 million units sold.



The big gainers in 2009 were Apple, Google and RIM, which all saw significant increases in their market share. In 2008, Apple commanded just 8.2 percent of the market with 11.4 million units sold. But the company's share grew 6.2 percent in 2009, giving it the largest increase of any handset maker and helping it to displace Windows Mobile.



Apple was helped by a strong finish in 2009. In the last quarter alone, the company sold a record 8.7 million iPhones, representing 100 percent growth over the year-ago quarter.



Android jumped from under a percent share in 2008 to 3.9 percent in 2009, and RIM added more than 10 million unit sales in 2009.



"Android's success experienced in the fourth quarter of 2009 should continue into 2010 as more manufacturers launch Android products, but some (communication service providers) and manufacturers have expressed growing concern about Google's intentions in the mobile market," said Roberta Cozza, principal research analyst with Gartner. "If such concerns cause manufacturers to change their product strategies or CSPs to change which devices they stock, this might hinder Android's growth in 2010."



Android's growth put it in sixth place, behind Microsoft's Windows Mobile and Linux in fourth and fifth, respectively. Coming in seventh was Palm's Web OS, which took just 0.7 percent of the global market based on 1.2 million units sold. All other mobile operating systems accounted for 0.6 percent of the smartphone share worldwide.



Worldwide Smartphone Sales to End Users by Operating System in 2009 (Thousands of Units). Source: Gartner.



Losing ground in 2009 was Nokia, which saw its Symbian platform drop from 52.4 percent a year prior to 46.9 percent. Nokia, however, remains the dominant smartphone market leader, with more unit sales than Apple, RIM and Microsoft combined.



"Symbian had become uncompetitive in recent years, but its market share, particularly on Nokia devices, is still strong," Cozza said. "If Symbian can use this momentum, it could return to positive growth."



In all, 172.3 million smartphones were sold in 2009, well up from the 139.3 million shipped in the 2008 calendar year.



Total cell phone sales were 1.2 billion in 2009, down 0.9 percent from 2008. Again the top company was Nokia, which represented 36.4 percent of overall sales. The Finnish brand sold 441 million handsets in the calendar year, losing 2.2 percent of its share from 2008.



In second was Samsung with 19.6 percent of the market and 236 million units sold, followed in order by LG, Motorola and Sony Ericsson. All other brands accounted for 24.7 percent of sales, or 299 million units.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 51
    igeniusigenius Posts: 1,240member
    We're number THREE!!! We're number THREE!!! We're number three!!!
  • Reply 2 of 51
    There is no doubt the iPhone came into it's own last year when it got MMS, video, cut and paste and speed. All the things I had been asking for. Heck, I even bought one.
  • Reply 3 of 51
    3 years to become the 3rd largest smartphone manufacturer, bravo Apple.
  • Reply 4 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by zindako View Post


    3 years to become the 3rd largest smartphone manufacturer, bravo Apple.



    Especially considering they only have one basic model, compared to all the other manufacturers.
  • Reply 5 of 51
    Could Apple have been higher if they'd had more than one phone model? We'll never know, will we?
  • Reply 6 of 51
    All this achived in 3 years with 1 model and 1 US Carrier.
  • Reply 7 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Apple took an estimated 14.4 percent of the total mobile operating system market, according to Gartner, which put it behind only Nokia's Symbian platform, which had 46.9 percent on 80.9 million sales, and Research in Motion, which carried 19.9 percent with 34.3 million units sold.



    Well, I knew there should have been 80.9 M of proletarians amongst us in 2009; 24.4 M of young fashionistas around is no big surprise at all. But some 34.4 M of CEOs here; that's indeed breathtaking...
  • Reply 8 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dvassallo View Post


    All this achived in 3 years with 1 model and 1 US Carrier.



    This report is for world sales, so the fact there was only 1 US carrier is less important.



    In June 09, 46% of the iPhone/iPod Touch usage was outside the US and I expect this is only going to get higher.
  • Reply 9 of 51
    richlrichl Posts: 2,213member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dvassallo View Post


    All this achived in 3 years with 1 model and 1 US Carrier.



    3 models, 10 variants (color/memory).



    Still a great achievement though.
  • Reply 10 of 51
    Apple is the no 1 phone maker in the world in terms of profit !!!! Apple even earns more than nokia !!! Haha...
  • Reply 11 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Total cell phone sales were 1.2 billion in 2009, down 0.9 percent from 2008. Again the top company was Nokia, which represented 36.4 percent of overall sales. The Finnish brand sold 441 million handsets in the calendar year, losing 2.2 percent of its share from 2008.



    Wow, Nokia sold the largest number of handsets. What was their percentage of the profits? I think Apple is happy with the profits it got on the 30 million or so handsets it sold. Conveniently left out of the article. Who's the "top" company? People? Anyone?
  • Reply 12 of 51
    Absolutely phenomenal!



    Contact organization, access to email, GPS, Maps/Apps, Access to the internet, camera, Podcasts, video, music and complete integration with my other macs/mobileMe...etc., etc., the iPhone is par excellence.



    It seems years ahead of the competition and may very well take over RIM sometime this year. Can't wait to see what Apple has up their sleeve for 2010's iPhone/OS!



    Wouldn't it be nice if the the next gen iPhone was as thin as the iPod Touch?

  • Reply 13 of 51
    1) Apple is doomed!?



    2) I love this absolutely nonsensical statement by the 'analyst': "Symbian had become uncompetitive in recent years, but its market share, particularly on Nokia devices, is still strong. If Symbian can use this momentum, it could return to positive growth." What momentum? The one that made them become uncompetitive?
  • Reply 14 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iGenius View Post


    We're number THREE!!! We're number THREE!!! We're number three!!!



    Nokia is number ONE!!! Nokia is number ONE!!! Nokia is number ONE!!!
  • Reply 15 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post


    Nokia is number ONE!!! Nokia is number ONE!!! Nokia is number ONE!!!



    Nokia is number 1 in revenue, and unit sales.

    Apple is number 1 in profits.



    Funny huh?



    C.
  • Reply 16 of 51
    Actually, Apple claimed SECOND place.



    With some notable exceptions, most of Nokia's garbageware doesn't count.
  • Reply 17 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post


    Nokia is number ONE!!! Nokia is number ONE!!! Nokia is number ONE!!!



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Carniphage View Post


    Nokia is number 1 in revenue, and unit sales.

    Apple is number 1 in profits.



    Funny huh?



    C.



    My fault for not adding "/sarcasm" tag to the end of my post. (I assumed it was obvious!).
  • Reply 18 of 51
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iGenius View Post


    We're number THREE!!! We're number THREE!!! We're number three!!!



    We?..
  • Reply 19 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Quadra 610 View Post


    Actually, Apple claimed SECOND place.



    With some notable exceptions, most of Nokia's garbageware doesn't count.



    So what you're saying is that the phones Nokia actually did sell, didn't actually sell. According to your views...



    That's about as logical as grabbing the silver medal off of the competitor's neck at the podium, claiming that you personally don't recognize a portion of their scores, so you deserve the medal over them.
  • Reply 20 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AsianBob View Post


    So what you're saying is that the phones Nokia actually did sell, didn't actually sell. According to your views...



    That's about as logical as grabbing the silver medal off of the competitor's neck at the podium, claiming that you personally don't recognize a portion of their scores, so you deserve the medal over them.



    To call some of Nokia's best-selling phones "smartphones" is a real stretch.
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