IDC: Apple passes RIM to become No. 4 global mobile phone vendor

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
A new IDC report shows strong iPhone sales have pushed Apple past Research in Motion, making the iPhone-maker the world's fourth-largest mobile phone seller in the third quarter of 2010.



According to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, Apple's record quarter was enough to land it a fourth-place spot on the list of global mobile phone vendors, behind Nokia, Samsung and LG Electronics. Though Apple has consistently been a top smartphone vendor, this marks the first quarter that Apple has cracked the top 5 list of global mobile phone vendors.



With Apple and RIM taking fourth and fifth place respectively, Sony Ericsson was ousted from the top 5 for the first time since the inception of the IDC Mobile Phone Tracker report in 2004. According to the report, the iPhone 4 launched in 17 new countries last quarter.



"The entrance of Apple to the top 5 vendor ranking underscores the increased importance of smartphones to the overall market. Moreover, the mobile phone makers that are delivering popular smartphone models are among the fastest growing firms," said Kevin Restivo, IDC senior research analyst.



In terms of growth, Apple dominated its competitors with a 90.5 percent year-over-year increase in sales. Third-place LG missed its smartphone shipment growth targets and fell behind, with shipments dropping 10 percent from 31.6 million in Q3 2009 to 28.4 million in Q3 2010. Although the Seoul, Korea-based company still maintains a wide margin over Apple, the iPhone-maker is steadily gaining on it.



RIM posted the second biggest year-over-year growth, with a record quarter that saw a 45.9 percent increase in shipments from Q3 2009. However, the record numbers weren't enough to hold back Apple.



The IDC data confirms Apple CEO Steve Jobs' assertion that his company had overtaken Blackberry-maker RIM.



"We've now passed RIM," Jobs said during Apple's quarterly conference call. "I don't see them catching up with us in the foreseeable future. It will be a challenge for them to create a mobile software platform and convince developers to support a third platform."



Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of RIM, fired back that Jobs had compared Apple's September-ending quarter to RIM's August-ending quarter without taking into account that "industry demand in September is typically stronger than summer months." However, according to IDC, RIM shipped 12.4 million phones in the September-ending third-quarter, compared to the 12.1 million figure from RIM's August-ending quarter. By comparison, Apple shipped a record 14.1 million iPhones in the third quarter.



Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors, Shipments, and Market Share, Q3 2010 (Units in Millions)



Source: IDC

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 58
    Put up a good fight though.
  • Reply 2 of 58
    Yeah, Balsillie, just keep telling yourself it's just a rounding error.

    It helps Ballmer sleep at night.
  • Reply 3 of 58
    tofinotofino Posts: 697member
    What should really worry RIM is that customers paid money for each one of those iPhones and that Apple didn't have to resort to any BOGO deals to move that many phones.
  • Reply 4 of 58
    Rest In Motion
  • Reply 5 of 58
    richlrichl Posts: 2,213member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tofino View Post


    What should really worry RIM is that customers paid money for each one of those iPhones and that Apple didn't have to resort to any BOGO deals to move that many phones.



    I live in the UK. The iPhone is offered for free here.



    You're forgetting that every "free" smartphone is tied to an expensive contract.
  • Reply 6 of 58
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by RichL View Post


    I live in the UK. The iPhone is offered for free here.



    You're forgetting that every "free" smartphone is tied to an expensive contract.



    That may be true, but Apple are getting full price for that phone as the carrier is paying it to them.

    The OP was stating that Apple are not having to resort to buy one, get one free deals which I would imagine are subsidised by the carriers as well, but I believe the manufacturer must take a hit on those deals.
  • Reply 7 of 58
    jon tjon t Posts: 131member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by RichL View Post


    I live in the UK. The iPhone is offered for free here.



    iPhones are more expensive in the UK than almost anywhere else - a long way from free.



    Reality of it is that iPhone ASP is well above $600 compared to the Blackberry's less than $300.



    http://www.asymco.com/wp-content/upl...8.16.41-PM.png
  • Reply 8 of 58
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    I guess that's good if you're an Apple shareholder, but I don't really care about mobile phones. They have a certain subversive potential, in that they are a portable network connected video camera (Edison Carter, anyone?), but desktop computers with programming IDEs is where the real power to change things is.
  • Reply 9 of 58
    carniphagecarniphage Posts: 1,984member
    I wonder what these numbers would look like, if they removed devices, that are not ever used as smartphones.



    Nokia sell millions of devices which are theoretically capable of Email and web use. But are sold without data plans, and are never employed as smartphones by the users.



    C.
  • Reply 10 of 58
    richlrichl Posts: 2,213member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Jon T View Post


    iPhones are more expensive in the UK than almost anywhere else - a long way from free.



    That's exactly my point. Just because a phone is free upfront, it doesn't mean that it's a free phone.



    Whether you're buying an iPhone or a BlackBerry, you will pay for it over the length of the contract.



    Though I disagree with you that the iPhone is more expensive in the UK than almost anywhere else. A 16GB iPhone 4 on Tesco Mobile is £19 upfront and then 24 months of £45 inc. tax and all other fees. Over the lifetime of the contract, that adds up to $1,747. The same deal on AT&T will cost you $199 up-front and $104.99 a month, excluding taxes and other fees. That's a total of $2718. Competition is a great thing, as I'm sure that Verizon will demonstrate when they get the iPhone next year.
  • Reply 11 of 58
    carniphagecarniphage Posts: 1,984member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by RichL View Post


    A 16GB iPhone 4 on Tesco Mobile is <snip> $1,747.



    I figured out my 32GB iPhone4 was $1446. That's on Three.



    C.
  • Reply 12 of 58
    jfanningjfanning Posts: 3,398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Carniphage View Post


    I wonder what these numbers would look like, if they removed devices, that are not ever used as smartphones.



    Nokia sell millions of devices which are theoretically capable of Email and web use. But are sold without data plans, and are never employed as smartphones by the users.



    C.



    I wonder what laptop sales would look like if you didn't count the ones that never left peoples desks.



    I wonder what off road vehicle sales would look like if you only counted the ones that went off road.



    Why is it Nokia's fault the user doesn't use the full functions of the phone? It isn't, which is why you like in a fantasy land with how you want to count devices.
  • Reply 13 of 58
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jfanning View Post


    I wonder what laptop sales would look like if you didn't count the ones that never left peoples desks.



    I wonder what off road vehicle sales would look like if you only counted the ones that went off road.



    Why is it Nokia's fault the user doesn't use the full functions of the phone? It isn't, which is why you like in a fantasy land with how you want to count devices.



    While your point is reasonable, I think Carniphage has a decent point, too. Your point applies to current sales (ie don't care what people used it for if they bought it) but Carniphage's would apply to future growth and share. If people are not using a current phone as a smartphone, it's likely going to be less sticky in the future. Those people in the next iteration might choose to get an iPhone, or a Droid or something else.
  • Reply 14 of 58
    core2core2 Posts: 49member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by lostkiwi View Post


    That may be true, but Apple are getting full price for that phone as the carrier is paying it to them.

    The OP was stating that Apple are not having to resort to buy one, get one free deals which I would imagine are subsidised by the carriers as well, but I believe the manufacturer must take a hit on those deals.



    Probably not, usually the bogo happens when the Carrier commits to a large volume and they don't sell as well as forecast and they have to move them. Manufacturer still charges the same per handset in most cases to the carrier, but providing discounts based on volume. Usually high volume commitments come when the carrier picks a product that they want exclusivity on.
  • Reply 15 of 58
    nvidia2008nvidia2008 Posts: 9,262member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by monstrosity View Post


    Put up a good fight though.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tofino View Post


    What should really worry RIM is that customers paid money for each one of those iPhones and that Apple didn't have to resort to any BOGO deals to move that many phones.



    RIM is in trouble. They're assaulted on all three fronts now - Android, iOS and WP7.



    Shows you what a desperate move announcing the BlackPad was.
  • Reply 16 of 58
    nvidia2008nvidia2008 Posts: 9,262member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ascii View Post


    I guess that's good if you're an Apple shareholder, but I don't really care about mobile phones. They have a certain subversive potential, in that they are a portable network connected video camera (Edison Carter, anyone?), but desktop computers with programming IDEs is where the real power to change things is.



    Apple tried to change things with the Mac. They've been trying for decades and have had some success. But they warmed up with the iPod, and then blew everything apart with the iPhone and iPad.



    Mobile and desktop experiences beyond the usual desktop is where the real power is.



    The *experience*. That's hardware, software, IDEs, etc.



    And that wonderful new experience that has changed the very way we view technology is crafted by iOS, iPhone and iPad now.



    Sure, there'll be things like integrated implants, cybernetic remote viewing and true 3D holographics down the line.



    But for now, I was reflecting the other day, iOS, iPhone and iPad are truly HISTORIC landmarks marking this phase of the IT revolution of these past 30 years. The biggest thing before this was the invention of the mouse and GUI. Everything inbetween was a training bra.
  • Reply 17 of 58
    nvidia2008nvidia2008 Posts: 9,262member
    Debate aside, I think we all know that we need one other set of numbers. Which is smartphone-only sales. I'm sure it's somewhere around.



    We could then dig further into what is considered a smartphone, but we need the data first and see *what* that data considered smartphones to be.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jfanning View Post


    I wonder what laptop sales would look like if you didn't count the ones that never left peoples desks.



    I wonder what off road vehicle sales would look like if you only counted the ones that went off road.



    Why is it Nokia's fault the user doesn't use the full functions of the phone? It isn't, which is why you like in a fantasy land with how you want to count devices.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Carniphage View Post


    I wonder what these numbers would look like, if they removed devices, that are not ever used as smartphones.



    Nokia sell millions of devices which are theoretically capable of Email and web use. But are sold without data plans, and are never employed as smartphones by the users.



    C.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by edgar_is_good View Post


    While your point is reasonable, I think Carniphage has a decent point, too. Your point applies to current sales (ie don't care what people used it for if they bought it) but Carniphage's would apply to future growth and share. If people are not using a current phone as a smartphone, it's likely going to be less sticky in the future. Those people in the next iteration might choose to get an iPhone, or a Droid or something else.



  • Reply 18 of 58
    carniphagecarniphage Posts: 1,984member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by nvidia2008 View Post


    Debate aside, I think we all know that we need one other set of numbers. Which is smartphone-only sales. I'm sure it's somewhere around.



    Here's a graph of Nokia sales of all the units they call "converged devices"





    The products that are considered to be the equals of the iPhone/Android and WP7 devices are called N-series. These are typically sold with data-plans, and I suspect most people buy them to use them as real smartphones. Look at the purple line.



    C.
  • Reply 19 of 58
    Good job Apple. Keep your foot on the throttle. White knuckle tight.
  • Reply 20 of 58
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Jon T View Post


    iPhones are more expensive in the UK than almost anywhere else - a long way from free.



    It is still cheaper than e.g. in Italy where it costs 779 EUR for the top model.
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