IDC: Apple still leads RIM as No. 2 worldwide smartphone maker
Global smartphone sales have continued their explosive growth, topping 100 million total units last quarter, with Apple retaining second place among all vendors, according to IDC.
The new data, released Monday, shows Apple with 16.1 percent of the market thanks to record sales of 16.2 million iPhones during the holiday quarter. Apple's year-over-year growth of 86.2 percent was stronger than rivals Nokia and Research in Motion, but lagged well behind Android-based manufacturers Samsung and HTC, which saw 438.9 percent and 258.3 percent year-over-year growth, respectively.
"Android continues to gain by leaps and bounds, helping to drive the smartphone market," said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC's Mobile Phone Technology and Trends team. "It has become the cornerstone of multiple vendors' smartphone strategies, and has quickly become a challenger to market leader Symbian.
"Although Symbian has the backing of market leader Nokia, Android has multiple vendors, including HTC, LG Electronics, Motorola, Samsung and a growing list of companies deploying Android on their devices."
IDC noted that Apple gained more ground in the worldwide smartphone market last quarter, with shipment volume growth stemming from the Asia/Pacific region, as well as Japan. Also noted was Apple's greater success in the enterprise market, as 88 of the Fortune 100 companies are now deploying the iPhone for use in their ranks.
Apple still remains the No. 2 overall smartphone maker behind Nokia, which took 28 percent of the market with 28.3 million handsets shipped. But Apple is gaining on the leader, which saw just 36.1 percent year-over-year growth.
The strength of the iPhone is also helping Apple to extend its lead over Research in Motion, which came in third with 14.5 percent of the market and shipments of 14.6 million units. Apple first passed RIM in total quarterly sales last fall.
For the calendar year 2010, Apple finished in third, lagging behind RIM for the full 12-month span. But it was Apple's strong finish at the end of the year, capped off with a record quarter, that helped the Cupertino, Calif., company maker pull ahead of the BlackBerry maker.
IDC has predicted that the smartphone market will continue its tremendous growth through 2011, as handset makers offer more features in their new devices. Noted in the report were recent rumors that Apple is exploring the use of RFID near-field communications technology to turn the iPhone into an electronic wallet for retail transactions.
"The high-end of the market has been important to help grow the smartphone market in recent years," Llamas said. "IDC expects vendors to provide more mid-range and low-end smartphones at lower prices to reach the mass market. In the same manner, even high-end devices will become available at lower prices. This will result in greater competition and more selection for users."
The new data, released Monday, shows Apple with 16.1 percent of the market thanks to record sales of 16.2 million iPhones during the holiday quarter. Apple's year-over-year growth of 86.2 percent was stronger than rivals Nokia and Research in Motion, but lagged well behind Android-based manufacturers Samsung and HTC, which saw 438.9 percent and 258.3 percent year-over-year growth, respectively.
"Android continues to gain by leaps and bounds, helping to drive the smartphone market," said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC's Mobile Phone Technology and Trends team. "It has become the cornerstone of multiple vendors' smartphone strategies, and has quickly become a challenger to market leader Symbian.
"Although Symbian has the backing of market leader Nokia, Android has multiple vendors, including HTC, LG Electronics, Motorola, Samsung and a growing list of companies deploying Android on their devices."
IDC noted that Apple gained more ground in the worldwide smartphone market last quarter, with shipment volume growth stemming from the Asia/Pacific region, as well as Japan. Also noted was Apple's greater success in the enterprise market, as 88 of the Fortune 100 companies are now deploying the iPhone for use in their ranks.
Apple still remains the No. 2 overall smartphone maker behind Nokia, which took 28 percent of the market with 28.3 million handsets shipped. But Apple is gaining on the leader, which saw just 36.1 percent year-over-year growth.
The strength of the iPhone is also helping Apple to extend its lead over Research in Motion, which came in third with 14.5 percent of the market and shipments of 14.6 million units. Apple first passed RIM in total quarterly sales last fall.
For the calendar year 2010, Apple finished in third, lagging behind RIM for the full 12-month span. But it was Apple's strong finish at the end of the year, capped off with a record quarter, that helped the Cupertino, Calif., company maker pull ahead of the BlackBerry maker.
IDC has predicted that the smartphone market will continue its tremendous growth through 2011, as handset makers offer more features in their new devices. Noted in the report were recent rumors that Apple is exploring the use of RFID near-field communications technology to turn the iPhone into an electronic wallet for retail transactions.
"The high-end of the market has been important to help grow the smartphone market in recent years," Llamas said. "IDC expects vendors to provide more mid-range and low-end smartphones at lower prices to reach the mass market. In the same manner, even high-end devices will become available at lower prices. This will result in greater competition and more selection for users."
Comments
More correctly should read "Apple still trails Nokia......."
Or even more correctly "Apple leads RIM, closes gap on Nokia"
I mean seriously, how long do you think they'll remain on top? I'm not seeing anything very impressive from them these days (that's not to say their new phones aren't nice.)
Or even more correctly "Apple leads RIM, closes gap on Nokia"
I mean seriously, how long do you think they'll remain on top? I'm not seeing anything very impressive from them these days (that's not to say their new phones aren't nice.)
I'd say gone by gone by July.
Counting units sold for calculating market share is not really fair. Average iPhone price is $600 as we know. What is the average price of Nokia smartphone? Around $100 or so? Which means Nokia is already well behind Apple in smartphone $ revenues.
and where are the statistics regarding how many of the Nokia and RIM devices sold more than two years ago are still in use versus in the recycle or trash bins?
Or even more correctly "Apple leads RIM, closes gap on Nokia"
I mean seriously, how long do you think they'll remain on top? I'm not seeing anything very impressive from them these days (that's not to say their new phones aren't nice.)
Nokia's definition of a smartphone is very loose, too. It seems that anything except their most basic flip phones are considered smartphones. Plus Nokia is so entrenched in less developed countries that don't really have the resources for something like an iPhone or even Blackberry. I think Nokia, like Microsoft, stays around for quite awhile just because people are so scared to break from the status quo.
Business it tough. Especially the tech business. Apple has capitalized on RIM's, Nokia's, Dell's, HP's, MS's and Sony's "complacency." There is no other word for it. Or perhaps, "negligence" and "incompetence" on the part of the above mentioned companies CEO's and executive staff.
If you are going to be complacent, you shouldn't be allowed to fly around in a private jet and stay at the best hotels, eating expensive meals and sexually harassing your executive assistant!
Best
Apples first year was also posting 700-800% increases in sales. It is pretty easy when you have virtually no prior year sales.
Nokia's definition of a smartphone is very loose...
Very good point!
Nokia's definition of a smartphone is very loose, too. It seems that anything except their most basic flip phones are considered smartphones.
Nokia's definition is anything but loose. Anything that runs Symbian or Maemo/Meego is a smartphone. All of the analysts agree with this definition and it's very, very clear.
If Apple does surpass Nokia as the largest smartphone manufacture (by market share) then they'll deserve big plaudits. I believe that Nokia's average selling price for a smartphone is around $300.
Nokia's definition is anything but loose. Anything that runs Symbian or Maemo/Meego is a smartphone. All of the analysts agree with this definition and it's very, very clear.
If Apple does surpass Nokia as the largest smartphone manufacture (by market share) then they'll deserve big plaudits. I believe that Nokia's average selling price for a smartphone is around $300.
You're right, Symbian does classify a Nokia "smartphone". Here is one such phone:
http://www.nokiausa.com/find-product...specifications
I know they make more advanced phones than that, but if they can call that a smartphone, then I will never look too hard at Nokia's marketshare.
Nokia's definition is anything but loose. Anything that runs Symbian or Maemo/Meego is a smartphone. All of the analysts agree with this definition and it's very, very clear.
If Apple does surpass Nokia as the largest smartphone manufacture (by market share) then they'll deserve big plaudits. I believe that Nokia's average selling price for a smartphone is around $300.
Here is some info from Forbes (not sure how credible it is):
http://blogs.forbes.com/greatspecula...nokias-prices/
The average Nokia smartphone price declined from 188 euros in 2009 to 143 euros in the second quarter of 2010.
I guess it fell even more since then.
You're right, Symbian does classify a Nokia "smartphone". Here is one such phone:
http://www.nokiausa.com/find-product...specifications
I know they make more advanced phones than that, but if they can call that a smartphone, then I will never look too hard at Nokia's marketshare.
LOL, thats a smart phone? more like a dumb phone, no wonder their smartphone market share is so disproportionate in regards to Apple's. They are throwing their dumb phone products in the whole pot along with their higher end smartphones.
As others have said, it is easy to put up huge year over year numbers when you start from zero. Once you approach market saturation the numbers have more meaning.
In a sense, with a single carrier, iPhone has been fighting with one hand tied behind its back--and holding its own.
I recall Steve stating in the 2007 launch of the iPhone how they had 200+ patent applications. "Boy, are we gonna protect it" he said. I know there are a few claims and counter-claims in progress but is there no justice? Apple practically invented the entire touchscreen smartphone market and yet I can foresee Android dominating it very soon. Are we about to have a repeat of the 1980's with Microsoft stealing the PC market from under Apple's very nose?
Never mind Nokia, the rise of Android should be Apple's major concern (and they won't need me to tell them that!). What amazes me is how Google/Samsung/HTC have gotten away with ripping Apple off so blatantly.
I recall Steve stating in the 2007 launch of the iPhone how they had 200+ patent applications. "Boy, are we gonna protect it" he said. I know there are a few claims and counter-claims in progress but is there no justice? Apple practically invented the entire touchscreen smartphone market and yet I can foresee Android dominating it very soon. Are we about to have a repeat of the 1980's with Microsoft stealing the PC market from under Apple's very nose?
Apple has filed claims against both HTC and Motorola. We will need to see how these play out.
As far as marketshare is concerned, I think it is inevitable that Android will surpass iOS unless Oracle's suit against Google succeeds which may have handset makers rethink their Android choices. But Apple is not focused on marketshare - they want profits. As long as they have a large enough userbase, they can continue to have profitshare outperform their marketshare.
You're right, Symbian does classify a Nokia "smartphone". Here is one such phone:
http://www.nokiausa.com/find-product...specifications
I know they make more advanced phones than that, but if they can call that a smartphone, then I will never look too hard at Nokia's marketshare.
That's NOT a Symbian phone. Where are you getting the information that it is a Symbian phone?
All new Symbian phones are touchscreen-based.
You're right, Symbian does classify a Nokia "smartphone". Here is one such phone:
http://www.nokiausa.com/find-product...specifications
I know they make more advanced phones than that, but if they can call that a smartphone, then I will never look too hard at Nokia's marketshare.
That's not a Symbian phone, did you actually read anything on that page or just look at the picture?