Samsung reclaims lead over Apple in global smartphone shipments during March quarter
Despite strong iPhone sales, Samsung was able to top Apple in terms of smartphone shipments during the March quarter and reclaim market leadership, research firm Strategy Analytics said on Wednesday.
Samsung was estimated to have shipped 83.2 million smartphones, giving it a 24 percent marketshare. That put it above Apple's 17.7 percent share, based on sales of approximately 61.2 million iPhones announced on Monday.
The Samsung share is actually a decline from 31 percent a year ago. Apple, conversely, saw its share rise year-over-year from 15.3 percent, although it did see performance shrink sequentially from 19.6 percent in the December 2014 quarter. During that period, sales of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus made Apple the world's largest smartphone maker.
Sales of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, which launched earlier this month, will likely keep Samsung at the forefront of the market during the June quarter. The company recently said that demand is exceeding supply, and the Galaxy S series has long enjoyed status as one of the most popular Android options.
Other competitors in the March quarter were relatively distant. Lenovo/Motorola took a 5.4 percent share with 18.8 million phones, and the next closest company was Huawei with a 5 percent share and 17.3 million units.
Apple will likely retake the lead again in the September quarter, or at latest the December one. Even though the company usually only ships new iPhones in mid- to late September, preorders are often enough to spike sales data.
Samsung was estimated to have shipped 83.2 million smartphones, giving it a 24 percent marketshare. That put it above Apple's 17.7 percent share, based on sales of approximately 61.2 million iPhones announced on Monday.
The Samsung share is actually a decline from 31 percent a year ago. Apple, conversely, saw its share rise year-over-year from 15.3 percent, although it did see performance shrink sequentially from 19.6 percent in the December 2014 quarter. During that period, sales of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus made Apple the world's largest smartphone maker.
Sales of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, which launched earlier this month, will likely keep Samsung at the forefront of the market during the June quarter. The company recently said that demand is exceeding supply, and the Galaxy S series has long enjoyed status as one of the most popular Android options.
Other competitors in the March quarter were relatively distant. Lenovo/Motorola took a 5.4 percent share with 18.8 million phones, and the next closest company was Huawei with a 5 percent share and 17.3 million units.
Apple will likely retake the lead again in the September quarter, or at latest the December one. Even though the company usually only ships new iPhones in mid- to late September, preorders are often enough to spike sales data.
Comments
er, they're making smartphone chips for Apple again?
/s
30% less profit YOY. Let see how S6 will help stop the bleeding. My guess is not much.
Samsung just shipped 40 million $99 phones to India.
Proof is in the pudding.
Samsung profits last quarter $3 billion
Apple profits last quarter $13 billion
end of story.
I get what you are saying that Apple is making more money but the fact is that Samsung is still making $3B last quarter in profits and they made $5.63 billion this quarter. Samsung is still making a huge amount of money regardless of Apple making more. The whole point of a company is to make a profit. Samsung is making a ton of it. Apple is just making more.
Come on AI, I expect this kind of article title from other sites, but here?
Samsung sold 99 million phones with an ASP of $200 (according to Samsung). That means those 83 million devices Samsung calls smartphones could have an ASP of no more than $240 (or so). Compared to $659 for Apple.
Most of those phones Samsung sold were junk phones for $100. If you do the math, you realize Samsung probably didn't even hit 15 million flagship phones. I'd say Apple selling 61 million flagships is a LITTLE more impressive than Samsung selling 15 million flagships and 68 million junk phones.
When do we get to see a breakdown of Samsung "smartphone" models? I'd like to see how many of them are actually simply throwaway feature phones.
Samsung started selling S6 in early April. The first quarter shipments definitely include large number of S6s and S6 Edges.
There is still a market for "feature" phones. Many people do not want or need smartphone features -- just the ability to make and receive phone calls.
Yeah.. The more appropriate headline should be "Samsung is no1 on market share again but most of the phone sale were junks (again).".
Let's all remember this is an ESTIMATED number of SHIPPED smartphones. Samsung does not and has never released sales figures for each market segment. A couple of years ago they flooded the market with their devices to beef up supposed marketshare. That came back to bite them a year later when there was too much stock left in the channel and their new flagship model sales started to wane due to the need to give away older models. I suspect after that correction, they're back to their old tricks again pushing the two S6 models into the channel and in another couple of years their profit will completely disappear as will sales on the high end and their marketshare.
There is still a market for "feature" phones. Many people do not want or need smartphone features -- just the ability to make and receive phone calls. realize what a smartphone can do because their idiot friend/nephew or salesman pushed them into a pile of junk Android phone, which barely works.
FTFY.
And a kilometer isn't a mile.
The important thing is that nobody pays attention to the difference when comparing. Then they can make these numbers mean whatever they want.
I get what you are saying that Apple is making more money but the fact is that Samsung is still making $3B last quarter in profits and they made $5.63 billion this quarter. Samsung is still making a huge amount of money regardless of Apple making more. The whole point of a company is to make a profit. Samsung is making a ton of it. Apple is just making more.
Apple thought that WinPhone and Nokia (or BlackBerry) were the evil empire they would have to take on in Phone Wars, but instead it turned out to be Android/Samsung.
In the end, Samsung looks like it's 'failing' only because it's playing a different game than Apple. [Carrier commodity phones vs an ecosystem]. One needs to watch out as when Samsung ever gets an ecosystem where they can retain slightly more consumers than Apple, their installed base could quickly make Apple a 10% player. But 10% of a 1-3Billion phones a year... still a big number;-)
for the "I wish Samsung would just die...." crowd, Apple/iOS users probably needs a samsung/android to survive for several reasons:
1) just to avoid any monopolistic hoo-haa in the US and EU markets.
2) To highlight bad design vs good design
3) free 'market research' into usability trends [a petrie dish of hundreds of shapes and form factors and new functions]
Apple doesn't deliver first, but it tries to deliver 'better' on the cusp of market 'desire.'
4) cheap 'first' smartphones ['my dad bought me this crap phone... when I grow up, I'm gonna buy an iPhone!!!']
Last) to drive some level of competitive paranoia in the design and manufacturing teams.
There is only one important word in this sentence
That number is not an actually number it someone putting their nose to the air and sniffing to come up with what they seem reasonable. Samsung never says what they sell.
I notice over the weekend that Samsung was offering $200 for a trade in phone if you bought a S6 and come June it will be a BOGO event.
Apple thought that WinPhone and Nokia (or BlackBerry) were the evil empire they would have to take on in Phone Wars, but instead it turned out to be Android/Samsung.
In the end, Samsung looks like it's 'failing' only because it's playing a different game than Apple. [Carrier commodity phones vs an ecosystem]. One needs to watch out as when Samsung ever gets an ecosystem where they can retain slightly more consumers than Apple, their installed base could quickly make Apple a 10% player. But 10% of a 1-3Billion phones a year... still a big number;-)
for the "I wish Samsung would just die...." crowd, Apple/iOS users probably needs a samsung/android to survive for several reasons:
1) just to avoid any monopolistic hoo-haa in the US and EU markets.
2) To highlight bad design vs good design
3) free 'market research' into usability trends [a petrie dish of hundreds of shapes and form factors and new functions]
Apple doesn't deliver first, but it tries to deliver 'better' on the cusp of market 'desire.'
4) cheap 'first' smartphones ['my dad bought me this crap phone... when I grow up, I'm gonna buy an iPhone!!!']
Last) to drive some level of competitive paranoia in the design and manufacturing teams.
Yeah, pretty much. I'd rather it be MS/Apple though, because Windows Phone is both different and a legitimately good product.
Anyway, couple pics:
But this is the one I was looking for:
Let's all remember this is an ESTIMATED number of SHIPPED smartphones. Samsung does not and has never released sales figures for each market segment. A couple of years ago they flooded the market with their devices to beef up supposed marketshare. That came back to bite them a year later when there was too much stock left in the channel and their new flagship model sales started to wane due to the need to give away older models. I suspect after that correction, they're back to their old tricks again pushing the two S6 models into the channel and in another couple of years their profit will completely disappear as will sales on the high end and their marketshare.
A better number to look at is the reported earnings. Samsung reported first quarter earnings two days after Apple. It is down from last year. The first quarter earnings is a reflection of real sales.