IDC confirms Apple as world's top smartphone vendor in Q2 2011

Posted:
in iPhone edited February 2015
Apple jumped past Nokia to become the world's largest smartphone vendor as the industry grew by 65.4 percent on sales of 106.5 million units in Q2 2011.



International Data Corporation reported the figures, which were similar but not identical to figures released by Canalys on Tuesday.



Both firms noted Apple firmly in the lead, selling more than 20.3 million iPhones, well ahead of second place Samsung at 17.3 million, which also beat out former smartphone leader Nokia and its sales of 16.7 million units.



"The smartphone market crowned a new leader in 2Q11, and its name is Apple," wrote Ramon Llamas, the senior research analyst of IDC's Mobile Phone Technology and Trends team. "Ever since the first iPhone launched in 2007, Apple has made market-setting strides in hardware, software, and channel development to grab mindshare and market share. Demand has been so strong that even models that have been out for one or two years are still being sought out. With an expected refresh later this year, volumes are set to reach higher levels."



IDC added that, "Apple's success can be directly attributed to its distribution (more than 200 carriers in more than 200 countries), increased manufacturing capacity, and solid demand within emerging and developed markets from both consumers and business users.



"Apple's emergence as the number one smartphone vendor worldwide comes at a time when former worldwide leader Nokia is in the midst of a major transition. However, Apple has yet to top Nokia's single-quarter volume record of 28.1 million units. But given Apple's momentum in the smartphone market, it may not be a question of whether Apple will beat that milestone, but when."



Among the other smartphone vendors in the top five, IDC observed that Samsung experienced the most growth due to global popularity of its Android-powered Galaxy S, while noting that "Samsung's Bada-powered smartphones likewise grew, while demand for its Windows Phone smartphones has cooled off."



The firm said that Nokia "ceded the number one position for the first time in the history of IDC's Mobile Phone Tracker," while noting that fourth place RIM "posted the lowest year-over-year growth of all the vendors in the top five," as the "bulk of its shipments" continued "to be comprised of older, less expensive models."



HTC followed close behind RIM, finding a "warm reception among carriers and end-users" according to IDC.





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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    1) I thought Android was the largest. Oh yeah, Android isn't a vendor.



    2) Samsung's copying appears to be paying off. The faster they grow they more it looks like their IP stealing gamble is working. It might be shady, but that's business.
  • Reply 2 of 21
    3) Wait until iPhone 5 goes on sale.
  • Reply 3 of 21
    drdoppiodrdoppio Posts: 1,132member
    The combined growth of Samsung and HTC is mindblowing as well. It would be interesting what each of them could achieve if the two companies were not in direct competition for the exact same segment of the market...
  • Reply 4 of 21
    mhiklmhikl Posts: 471member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DrDoppio View Post


    The combined growth of Samsung and HTC is mindblowing as well. It would be interesting what each of them could achieve if the two companies were not in direct competition for the exact same segment of the market...



    HTC should take the low end and Samsung should take the cheap end. Opps. They are the same and one and only.



    Two for one and real, real cheap, sure works. And soon such tactics will bring in the Android facsimiators all the loot as they keep pressing the Apple shaped copy buttons.
  • Reply 5 of 21
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Apple jumped past Nokia to become the world's largest smartphone vendor as the industry grew by 65.4 percent on sales of 106.5 million units in Q2 2011.






    It is good to know that the majority of smartphone users worldwide now Think Different.



    The iPhone truly is the phone for The Rest of Us, or for Most of Us, or maybe everybody now all thinks they are Zen Counterculteral types, or they all take LSD, or something like that.



    What happened to our little club of outsiders? Are we now the Borg? What?
  • Reply 6 of 21
    addaboxaddabox Posts: 12,665member
    Probably also worth noting that a not insignificant chunk of those Samsung smartphones are running Bada, not Android.



    Of the ones running Android, I also wonder how many of them are actually being used as "smartphones"? That is, how many are relatively low powered handsets with none of the hero phone trappings that Samsung likes to advertise for their marquee product, shoveled onto the market to be given away on contract? How much of Android's success is attributable to being the new feature phone OS, on phones that will pretty much never be used for anything more than web browsing and texting?
  • Reply 7 of 21
    So much for first mover advantage. Ericsson was the first to sell a smartphone followed by Nokia. The first smartphone to receive widespread US adoption was the Handsping Treo. Look at them now... dead and dying.



    Deliver a product that gives users a 360 wow experience is the best chance of winning. Congrats Apple!
  • Reply 8 of 21
    guch20guch20 Posts: 173member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleLover2 View Post


    It is good to know that the majority of smartphone users worldwide now Think Different.



    The iPhone truly is the phone for The Rest of Us, or for Most of Us, or maybe everybody now all thinks they are Zen Counterculteral types, or they all take LSD, or something like that.



    What happened to our little club of outsiders? Are we now the Borg? What?



    Wow, man. That's totally deep, man. You just, like, totally blew my mind, man.
  • Reply 9 of 21
    xsamplexxsamplex Posts: 214member
    Big snot. Please report news.
  • Reply 10 of 21
    cloudgazercloudgazer Posts: 2,161member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by addabox View Post


    Of the ones running Android, I also wonder how many of them are actually being used as "smartphones"?



    Same here, I actually ventured out of central london this week and decided to keep my eyes open on the trains to see what people were using, and I was surprised to see only iPhones and Blackberries. I'm sure people had other phones, I'm sure even most of them did - but they didn't have their phones out and in use.



    The BB and the iPhone users did. I tend to see the same thing on the london underground but I assumed it was a trend confined to effete southerners, but apparently it holds as far north as Liverpool.
  • Reply 11 of 21
    jfanningjfanning Posts: 3,398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleLover2 View Post


    It is good to know that the majority of smartphone users worldwide now Think Different.







    But they aren't... Apple took 19.1% of sales, which mean 80.9% of people purchased something different.
  • Reply 12 of 21
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleLover2 View Post


    It is good to know that the majority of smartphone users worldwide now Think Different.



    The iPhone truly is the phone for The Rest of Us, or for Most of Us, or maybe everybody now all thinks they are Zen Counterculteral types, or they all take LSD, or something like that.



    What happened to our little club of outsiders? Are we now the Borg? What?



    You're becoming what you used to hate.
  • Reply 13 of 21
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleLover2 View Post


    < . . . garbage . . . >





    Looks like we picked up another barnacle. Or an old one has mutated, more likely.
  • Reply 14 of 21
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    1) I thought Android was the largest. Oh yeah, Android isn't a vendor.



    2) Samsung's copying appears to be paying off. The faster they grow they more it looks like their IP stealing gamble is working. It might be shady, but that's business.



    That's in total phones. Not in smart phones.
  • Reply 15 of 21
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by guch20 View Post


    Wow, man. That's totally deep, man. You just, like, totally blew my mind, man.



    hey man gotta tote...
  • Reply 16 of 21
    robin huberrobin huber Posts: 3,956member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleLover2 View Post


    It is good to know that the majority of smartphone users worldwide now Think Different.



    The iPhone truly is the phone for The Rest of Us, or for Most of Us, or maybe everybody now all thinks they are Zen Counterculteral types, or they all take LSD, or something like that.



    What happened to our little club of outsiders? Are we now the Borg? What?



    It's good to look back once in a while for perspective and to remind ourselves that things change and nothing is permanent. The big new challenge for Apple is to keep its outsider edge, to stay hungry in a brave new world as class leader. Clichés aside, it's the truth.
  • Reply 17 of 21
    galbigalbi Posts: 968member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Fast Fred 1 View Post


    That's in total phones. Not in smart phones.



    What are you talking about?



    We here are talking about smartphones.



    I have a feeling that Samsung will have a renewed interest in its own Bada OS. It already exhibited an over 130% growth over the last year.
  • Reply 18 of 21
    What's far more impressive is the profit share.



    There must be a lot of slumped shoulders in tech-land with the relentless onslaught of the Apple juggernaut.



    Apple is unDoomed™.
  • Reply 19 of 21
    juandljuandl Posts: 230member
    The BIG problem for these other guys. Is that the bad things are just gonna get worst.

    Apple has also learned how to build this products and sell them at a comparatively low price.

    What will happen if they come up with that lowered price phone.

    The other guys will find it harder and harder to compete.
  • Reply 20 of 21
    ameldrum1ameldrum1 Posts: 255member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleLover2 View Post


    It is good to know that the majority of smartphone users worldwide now Think Different.



    Except of course that they don't. Did you even read the article?
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