Samsung takes top spot in global smartphone share from Apple's iPhone, TrendForce says
Samsung became the global leader in smartphone marketshare during the March quarter, pushing Apple back into second place, according to production estimates published on Tuesday.
Samsung claimed 26.1 percent of production volume versus Apple's 16.9 percent, TrendForce said. In the December quarter Apple held 20.3 percent, commanding over Samsung's 18.5.
While Samsung's high-end phones have suffered in the wake of the Galaxy Note 7 recall, the company has done well in low- to mid-range segments, TrendForce noted. In fact much of this was attributed to the low-cost Galaxy J series, noting that it helped Samsung become "the only brand that saw positive growth in production volume during the off season of the first quarter."
iPhone production fell 36 percent versus the December quarter and 41 percent year-over-year, TrendForce indicated, pointing out however that this meant an overall improvement in sales. Some of the sales boost was reportedly linked to the (Product)Red iPhone 7.
Production is forecast to drop 17 percent sequentially in the June quarter. Apple typically sees lower sales and production numbers in the March and June quarters, as the rush of launch and holiday sales fades and the company turns its attention to manufacturing new iPhone models.
Android phone makers like Samsung are actually liable to suffer in the June quarter, as shoppers hold off in anticipation of 10th-anniversary iPhones Apple will announce in the fall, TrendForce commented.
Apple is thought to be preparing three new iPhones. While two of these should be "7s" models with 4.7- and 5.5-inch LCD displays, the "iPhone 8" is expected to feature a 5.8-inch OLED screen, with a small section replacing a physical home button with virtual controls. The phone should also have wireless charging, iris and/or facial recognition, and possibly color-changing True Tone technology.
Samsung claimed 26.1 percent of production volume versus Apple's 16.9 percent, TrendForce said. In the December quarter Apple held 20.3 percent, commanding over Samsung's 18.5.
While Samsung's high-end phones have suffered in the wake of the Galaxy Note 7 recall, the company has done well in low- to mid-range segments, TrendForce noted. In fact much of this was attributed to the low-cost Galaxy J series, noting that it helped Samsung become "the only brand that saw positive growth in production volume during the off season of the first quarter."
iPhone production fell 36 percent versus the December quarter and 41 percent year-over-year, TrendForce indicated, pointing out however that this meant an overall improvement in sales. Some of the sales boost was reportedly linked to the (Product)Red iPhone 7.
Production is forecast to drop 17 percent sequentially in the June quarter. Apple typically sees lower sales and production numbers in the March and June quarters, as the rush of launch and holiday sales fades and the company turns its attention to manufacturing new iPhone models.
Android phone makers like Samsung are actually liable to suffer in the June quarter, as shoppers hold off in anticipation of 10th-anniversary iPhones Apple will announce in the fall, TrendForce commented.
Apple is thought to be preparing three new iPhones. While two of these should be "7s" models with 4.7- and 5.5-inch LCD displays, the "iPhone 8" is expected to feature a 5.8-inch OLED screen, with a small section replacing a physical home button with virtual controls. The phone should also have wireless charging, iris and/or facial recognition, and possibly color-changing True Tone technology.
Comments
Funny how folks claim iPhone's low global market share as evidence of some kind of weakness in Apple. How is it that these people miss that Apple is taking 90% of global smartphone profits already. The company, really, doesn't want most of the rest of the market.
Outside the United States there are huge populations, think China, where there is a huge base of very poor people, on top of which there is a much smaller proportion (relative to the U.S.) with the money to afford a premium smartphone. Apple is concerned first with that portion of the global population, same way Ferrari and Louise Vuitton are. So Apple is, in fact, competing extraordinarily well in the foreign markets it pursues. It's just that those markets are NOT synonymous with the names of countries on a global map. They are, for the most part, markets within those countries. Let's call them premium markets. There's one in almost every country on earth. But the China Premium Smartphone market is not the same thing as the China Smartphone market.
When has production volume mattered even a tiny bit!? Silly me, I always though the key metrics were sales and profits.Does this production share include the millions of G7s sitting in a warehouse somewhere?
At the moment, (in the UK at least) all the promo's are for the S8. TV and billboard advertising is all Samsung. Apple is nowhere to be seen.
Out of interest, I went into one UK mobile network today and asked about a contract with an iPhone 7. The sales team almost fell about laughing. IT was the S8/S8+ or the Galaxy A or a one year old Sony. That was all the devices they were offering on a two year contract!
As much as we might like/love Apple there is a huge world out there that don't even consider an iDevice when choosing their next phone.
Yes, Apple makes 90% of the smartphone profits but how long can it last?
Will people actually pay more than $1000 for a phone (or £1300 in vat in the UK and 1200+ Euros)?
Seriously?
Apple had better be careful or what little market share they have this side of the Pond will go down the drain.
My guess is that the staff didn't get much commission with an Apple sale when compared to a Samsung.
Samsung and especially the S8/S*+ are the flavour of the day. But even one of the major MNVO's (Tesco) are renowned for favouring Samsung although they are offering iPhone SE's (16Gb) and iPhone 6S's on special at the moment
http://www.tescomobile.com/special-offers?icid=nav
Scrolling down they are offering the iPhone 5S (16Gb) for £17/month.
Seriousl folks, the 5S.
So iPhone share is either growing or decreasing, and either giving up some to Android or stealing the highest number of switchers from them in all history. Android is either dying or iOS is stagnating. Pick any of the above and there's numbers to support you.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/05/17/android-roars-back-in-strongest-growth-in-two-years-as-apple-shr/
https://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/Android-Share-Tops-75-in-Europes-Largest-Markets
https://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=9&qpcustomb=1
http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3415117
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/ios-stealing-market-share-from-android-research-says-as-people-stop-buying-first-phones-10295444.html
Those of us who are old enough remember the days when Apple owned a significant part of the desktop computer market and enjoyed 50% margins (whereas the competition barely eked out 10 on a good day). MacOS was so advanced compared to creaky ugly old DOS, and the hardware was so much better and faster (and consistent) that it fostered innovation, creating the desktop publishing industry.
This kept Apple fat and happy for a long time, ignoring the slow but steady migration of software developers and innovation to the much larger PC market -- until the Mac's quasi-extinction (Desktop publishing barely kept it alive during these dark years)
I fear this loss of market share could start a costly developer exodus. After all, who would write for a 10% minority platform?
Apple and Sammy tend to trade places monthly
or quarterly.
No doubt it spells doom for Apple, though. Because reasons.
Doomed since 2007.
Er, but you replied to Sog and he was being very specific with his numbers. Nobody mentioned muddy waters except you. FUD?
2) legacy MacOS never had a significant market share that i'm aware of. What numbers and when?
3) What 10% minority market share are you referring to?
This of course does not include iPad, to which the same iOS developers sell into with slightly modified apps. And despite the "doom" around iPad the size if its installed base is estimated around 300 million units.
So over 1.1 billion active, in-use, premium devices. Doesn't seem like a bad market.
But still doomed, so there is that...