Gartner: Apple's record quarter made it world's No. 7 cell phone maker

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
New data released Wednesday by research firm Gartner shows Apple as the No. 7 overall worldwide cell phone maker, with a total 2.7 percent market share.



Gartner's numbers show Apple having sold 8.4 million iPhones in the first calendar quarter of 2010, listed as "terminal sales to end users." The total is less than the 8.75 million handset sales Apple reported for the January-through-March period in its quarterly earnings.



Gartner's figures show Apple growing from 3.9 million iPhones sold in the first quarter of 2009, when the company had a 1.5 percent share of the total cell phone market. The 2010 numbers show Apple behind rivals Motorola, Research in Motion and Nokia.



The numbers, however, contradict those from earlier this week released by iSuppli, which showed Apple edging Motorola to become the No. 6 overall cell phone maker in the world. Motorola, in iSuppli's tally, came in eighth. The iSuppli numbers were listed as shipments in the first quarter of 2010, while Gartner's tally cites sales.



Both sets of data agree on the top cell phone maker, Nokia, with well over 100 million handsets moved in the quarter. Samsung came in second and LG took third in both.



Gartner said Apple saw a 112.2 percent increase in mobile device sales in the first quarter of 2010, representing its strongest quarter ever.



"Growth came partly from new communication service providers in established markets, such as the UK, and stronger sales in new markets such as China and South Korea," said Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner. "The second quarter of 2010 will be a very important one for Apple. We expect that Apple will present its new iPhone in June during its Worldwide Developer Conference, which will be the first to feature the latest release of the iPhone OS that includes welcome improvements for developers and users, such as multitasking."







Apple was also cited as a winner in the mobile operating system market, representing 15.4 percent of all smartphones sold to end users in the first three months of 2010. Apple was behind only Nokia's Symbian, in first, and Research in Motion, in second, with the iPhone maker taking third. Apple was one of only two OS vendors among the top five in the world to increase its market share year-over-year.



The other platform that saw an increase was Google's Android, which grew from just a 1.6 percent market share in 2009 to 9.6 percent in the first quarter of 2010. Smartphones represented 17.3 percent of all mobile handset sales in the three months to start 2010, up from 13.6 percent a year prior.



The numbers show that Android's current market share of 9.6 percent is less than Apple's was a year ago, when the iPhone held 10.5 percent of the mobile OS market. Android's first-quarter 2010 sales of 5.2 million are also less than the 8.4 million iPhone OS smartphone sales reported by Gartner.



But Android also moved ahead of Microsoft's Windows Mobile for the first time ever in the three-month period, according to Gartner.







"As seen with the iPad and web books based on Google's Android platform, mobile OS ecosystems are developing and will move beyond smartphones to continue to deliver consumer value and a rich user experience," said Roberta Cozza, principal research analyst at Gartner.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 25
    stevetimstevetim Posts: 482member
    not bad for a one product / one carrier gig.
  • Reply 2 of 25
    boogabooga Posts: 1,082member
    Of course, since Symbian and RIM don't have iPod Touch or iPads running their OS, the addressable market for app developers isn't fully represented by this chart. And while the Android is starting to see additional form factors, the jury is still out how big the addressable market is for a single binary distribution of an app in the Android marketplace. (ie. The first two Android tablets can't run Marketplace apps, and Android phones have many different versions in active use.)



    In other words, Apple appears to be playing a slightly different game than the others by not just chasing market share. I think they learned their lessons on how to attract developers after years of the Macintosh being a tiny percentage but disproportionately influential.
  • Reply 3 of 25
    hittrj01hittrj01 Posts: 753member
    I'm more curious how "other OSes" (read: webOS) have a smaller market share than Linux, and by a sizable margin. What pure Linux phones are out there?
  • Reply 4 of 25
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Anyone have the chart for phone makes sorted by net profit on their phone sales world wide and in USA?
  • Reply 5 of 25
    richlrichl Posts: 2,213member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by stevetim View Post


    not bad for a two products / 155 carriers gig.



    Fixed.
  • Reply 6 of 25
    cgc0202cgc0202 Posts: 624member
    Quote:

    The numbers, however, contradict those from earlier this week released by iSuppli, which showed Apple edging Motorola to become the No. 6 overall cell phone maker in the world. Motorola, in iSuppli's tally, came in eighth. The iSuppli numbers were listed as shipments in the first quarter of 2010, while Gartner's tally cites sales.



    To a trained reporter, this should not be a surprise. Both numbers are estimates. Even the US Bureau of Census data, e.g., the 10Y US Census, which is quite extensive (employing several tens of thousands of census staff) are themselves estimates, perhaps with much less margin of error than that of Gartner and iSuppli.



    More than likely, if they included the margin of error, the difference between some adjacent rankings would be insignificant.



    At least, this headline is more objective with respect to relative ranking:



    "Gartner: Apple's record quarter made it world's No. 7 cell phone maker"



    compared to how the data was milked in the other report.



    "Apple edges Motorola with 3% global cell phone market share"



    which would be untrue if the Gartner data turned out to be more accurate. Moreover, Apple is competing with all phones, not only with Motorola.



    CGC.
  • Reply 7 of 25
    Remember the slow start in Japan? WSJ is reporting today 'iPhone Is Big in Japan'



    'Sold 1.7 million iPhones or 72% of all smart phones in the fiscal year ended 3/31, doubling the smart phone segment, year over year'



    Apple says while the smart phone market in Japan is relatively flat, iPhone sales nearly tripled in the latest quarter.



    Softbank has added new subscribers at nearly three times the pace of market leader NTT DoCoMo Inc.



    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...eel_technology



    Best



    Ps. Probably most important in this article is how Apple has succeeded in the Japanese market that is notoriously 'Japan-centric' when it comes to phones/tech! It shows just how good a product the iPhone really is!
  • Reply 8 of 25
    bklynkidbklynkid Posts: 36member
    With all this good news why is the stock price tanking?
  • Reply 9 of 25
    sensisensi Posts: 346member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by stevetim View Post


    not bad for a one product / one carrier gig.



    Hmm, firstly last time i've checked there were several iPhone models, secondly the iPhone can be available on multiple carriers outside the US (e.g. France with Orange and SFR).



    I think these numbers help put things in perspective: nonetheless the everyday free advertisement, the iPhone has only 2.6% of the worldwide market share, with Apple nowadays still selling twelve time less than Nokia. Yet it won't stop silly so-called "journalists" and editors to compare everything to the iPhone (lately Android handsets), like if it was anywhere near the top: obviously it isn't, being a distant third even in the US.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post


    Anyone have the chart for phone makes sorted by net profit on their phone sales world wide and in USA?



    Be sure that Apple is making more money off your back than any other phone makers with their customers: I guess that it is time to celebrate (if you are a shareholder, that is).
  • Reply 10 of 25
    esummersesummers Posts: 953member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bklynkid View Post


    With all this good news why is the stock price tanking?



    They are not tanking. They have been fluctuating by more then in the past. Probably just relative to the stock price being much higher.
  • Reply 11 of 25
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bklynkid View Post


    With all this good news why is the stock price tanking?



    Massive shorting activity, plus collateral damage from the falling euro AND negative comments out of the Fed today...
  • Reply 12 of 25
    ilogicilogic Posts: 298member
    Yes, but how will the figures look during the gizmodo fiasco?
  • Reply 13 of 25
    mark2005mark2005 Posts: 1,158member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by christopher126 View Post


    Remember the slow start in Japan? WSJ is reporting today 'iPhone Is Big in Japan'



    'Sold 1.7 million iPhones or 72% of all smart phones in the fiscal year ended 3/31, doubling the smart phone segment, year over year'



    Apple says while the smart phone market in Japan is relatively flat, iPhone sales nearly tripled in the latest quarter.



    Softbank has added new subscribers at nearly three times the pace of market leader NTT DoCoMo Inc.



    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...eel_technology



    Best



    Ps. Probably most important in this article is how Apple has succeeded in the Japanese market that is notoriously 'Japan-centric' when it comes to phones/tech! It shows just how good a product the iPhone really is!



    But Strand Consulting says that iPhone hasn't helped any carriers!



    So I'm sure Softbank's performance is entirely due to other reasons.



    :sarcasm:
  • Reply 14 of 25
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mark2005 View Post


    But Strand Consulting says that iPhone hasn't helped any carriers!



    So I'm sure Softbank's performance is entirely due to other reasons.



    :sarcasm:



    Well Mark we all know what they say about consultants.....



  • Reply 15 of 25
    masternavmasternav Posts: 442member
    Remember when Steve Jobs said they would be satisfied with just 1% of the mobile market? I guess the current numbers please him no end.



    A couple of caveats:



    > What is most important to look at is what Apple says is most important to them, marketshare is a nominal datapoint from Apple's perspective - the numbers they watch are the number of devices sold, and the profit realized from them. And whether that is increasing or decreasing. Lot's of pundits and would-be pundits (trolls) like to play fast and loose with the numbers.Check behind the numbers to make sure its good data, and the RIGHT data.



    > Percentage of anything is only relative to other percentages - so let's keep straight comparing percentage GROWTH, percentage TOTAL MARKET, and percentage SMARTPHONE MARKET



    >Also let's remember that critics are only as good as their analysis is valid.
  • Reply 16 of 25
    jetzjetz Posts: 1,293member
    Is this relevant, given that Apple cares more about profitshare than marketshare?
  • Reply 17 of 25
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by masternav View Post


    Remember when Steve Jobs said they would be satisfied with just 1% of the mobile market? I guess the current numbers please him no end.



    A couple of caveats:



    > What is most important to look at is what Apple says is most important to them, marketshare is a nominal datapoint from Apple's perspective - the numbers they watch are the number of devices sold, and the profit realized from them. And whether that is increasing or decreasing. Lot's of pundits and would-be pundits (trolls) like to play fast and loose with the numbers.Check behind the numbers to make sure its good data, and the RIGHT data.



    > Percentage of anything is only relative to other percentages - so let's keep straight comparing percentage GROWTH, percentage TOTAL MARKET, and percentage SMARTPHONE MARKET



    >Also let's remember that critics are only as good as their analysis is valid.



    Agreed, Apple is correct to focus on margins versus market share....but seeing increases in market share, Japan, China, US, Europe, etc., is very interesting. Again, I take your point(s).
  • Reply 18 of 25
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    It's interesting that RiM has lost mobile OS marketshare YoY, thus they are growing less than the market as a whole. I wonder what this means for the future of their stock.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post


    Anyone have the chart for phone makes sorted by net profit on their phone sales world wide and in USA?



    Considering they reportedly had a 3rd of the market's profits last year with less marketshare my only question is: How much more are they making now?
  • Reply 19 of 25
    steviestevie Posts: 956member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post


    Anyone have the chart for phone makes sorted by net profit on their phone sales world wide and in USA?



    Unlikely, as that information is of little value.



    Folks who want to invest in a company need to know how the company as a whole is doing.



    Folks who want to buy a product with a good ecosystem need to know raw sales/market penetration.



    But net profit of one division of a diversified company? That's secret.
  • Reply 20 of 25
    donlphidonlphi Posts: 214member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Sensi View Post


    Hmm, firstly last time i've checked there were several iPhone models, secondly the iPhone can be available on multiple carriers outside the US (e.g. France with Orange and SFR).



    Well... The 3G & 3GS are barely different models. OS 4 will definitely widen the gap, but they are still essentially the same phone. They're just selling the old generation. Where Nokia has like 25 different phones ranging from $30 to $500+. I'd say Apple is doing just fine with their "2" models.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Sensi View Post


    Be sure that Apple is making more money off your back than any other phone makers with their customers: I guess that it is time to celebrate (if you are a shareholder, that is).



    I find statements like that to be hilarious. I assure you Nokia is making some decent money on their Nokia N900, weighing in at $650. The phone is garbage regardless of the tech specs. Have you noticed that ever since the iPhone came out, prices for other phones (like the Motorola Razor, Samsung A900, etc) have gone down significantly. Those phones used to be more expensive than the Iphone when they first came out, and there was nothing special about them. The way I see it, consumers owe Apple a thank you card and some flowers.
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