I think the comparison between OEMs is a lot more reasonable, especially when we remember that Apple started from nowhere only a few years ago - I mean - my mother still uses a phone that is older than Apple's presence in this market.
At current rates Apple will overtake Moto within a year in the US. That's huge.
What I would like to see are numbers giving sales figures. I mean sales, not "sales" as in free with contract, or buy one get one. How many handsets were actually exchanged for cash in addition to a contract? The reason I ask is because two of my friends use Android smartphones ONLY because they came "free" with the contract.
Android is capturing so much of the market with handsets and little of app sales because most Android users don't want to pay for anything they don't have to. Neither of my friends leave on their 3G service because they chose the lowest data plan. They don't buy any apps either.
I can't see that the Android "giveaway" can be sustained. I'm probably wrong though.
Here in Spain, or in UK or Italy you can get iPhones 4 for free depending on the contract. Are those also "sales"?
Frankly, no one serious cares. Not when Apple is said to be gaining share, not when Android is said to be gaining share, at the levels they are at.
The only issue is who is making any money at this so as to cover their cost of capital. Apple is, Google is not.
What? How do you compare moneymaking in a business when one company's profits are calculated based on GR minus COGS (read primarily hardware) and the other makes no hardware? You can compare MS and GOOG, but not AAPL with either? To force a comparison would be naive and plain wrong. So pls stop doing that because you're smart enough to know better, aren't you?
I can't see that the Android "giveaway" can be sustained. I'm probably wrong though.
Huh? You can get an iPhone-4 free on contract in some places, it's completely sustainable - the contract is effectively a lease on the hardware with free minutes thrown in.
The real proof for android phones low margins is the cheap pay-as-you-go offers. From Orange in the UK you can pick up an Android handset for £80 with no contract, the cheapest unlocked iPhones are about £400.
What? How do you compare moneymaking in a business when one company's profits are calculated based on GR minus COGS (read primarily hardware) and the other makes no hardware? You can compare MS and GOOG, but not AAPL with either? To force a comparison would be naive and plain wrong. So pls stop doing that because you're smart enough to know better, aren't you?
You don't understand what 'cost of capital' means do you?
There are definitely some high margin HTC products and Samsung products, however that's not where the bulk of the Android market share is - and none of them have margin to compare to the £600 iPhone-4.
Android overall has been good for handset maker margins, but it hasn't pushed them anywhere near to Apple levels on average, and the profit numbers make that fairly clear.
There are definitely some high margin HTC products and Samsung products, however that's not where the bulk of the Android market share is - and none of them have margin to compare to the £600 iPhone-4.
Android overall has been good for handset maker margins, but it hasn't pushed them anywhere near to Apple levels on average, and the profit numbers make that fairly clear.
Yes, but the original discussions was that given away phones can't count toward sales
Yes, but the original discussions was that given away phones can't count toward sales
Yeh - I'm with you on that, 'given away' on a £40/month 18month contract is still plenty profitable. HTC and Samsung seem to have sustainable businesses, but Moto & S-E are pretty questionable.
To put things even further into perspective Nokia still sells more than any other handset maker world wide. Which shows you how far Android and iOS both still have to go.
It would be interesting to know who the biggest US smartphone maker is though, it's almost certainly Apple.
certainly not the iPhone 4. it's so delicate! but beautiful. they really need to do away with the glass back. how many cracked and shattered iPhone 4's do we need?
I've thumped, dropped, tossed, and carried it in my pocket with assorted nasty sharp objects and it hasn't cracked scratched or failed. If that's "delicate", I can't wait until they toughen it up more! I frankly don't need any cracked iPhones and haven't ever had one in spite of my treatment of it. Besides a cracked back only costs 29 bucks to replace anyway - should that ever happen. Perhaps if you stopped moshing with it taped to your forehead, or driving over it?? *wink*
I've thumped, dropped, tossed, and carried it in my pocket with assorted nasty sharp objects and it hasn't cracked scratched or failed. If that's "delicate", I can't wait until they toughen it up more! I frankly don't need any cracked iPhones and haven't ever had one in spite of my treatment of it. Besides a cracked back only costs 29 bucks to replace anyway - should that ever happen. Perhaps if you stopped moshing with it taped to your forehead, or driving over it?? *wink*
Agreed - I actually find it's a bit tougher than my original iphone
i care! look..it's still in its infancy but i think it's a cool start. i like the live tiles and the metro ui. but it certainly doesn't have nearly all of the features that android and iOS have. it would be good to have 3 dominant mobile os's to keep everyone on their toes and keep the innovation coming. competition is great in the technology sector.
The highlighted section is a statement I wonder about all the time. Aple needs competitors to keep innovating? Really? So when they jumped into the smartphone market segment all the other OEM were poised to leap ahead in design and function but Apple beat them to it? Not when you compare the Nokia N series, the Android pre-iPhone prototype, the BB Bolds/Curves/Tours, HTC's P, T or S series (pre Android), all of these and the rest were incrementalists not innovators. Apple stepped out in front of pretty much everyone, established the capacitive touch benchmark. Apple spent some time tightening up its own platform and when the time is right - they will do it again.
And again, the whole "tablet" thing. Netbooks. Who else is delivering innovation at the same rate Apple is - and I do mean deliver - not just "talk". So if Apple is characteristically out-innovating everyone else without there being significant competition - what good is there in saying that "competition is great"? Or is this yet another commerical truism that is used to justify mere incrementalism and "running in the pack"?
To put things even further into perspective Nokia still sells more than any other handset maker world wide. Which shows you how far Android and iOS both still have to go.
The thing is, what is Nokia's platform breakdown? Most of Nokia's handsets are feature phones, Android and iOS are not feature phone OSs. Care needs to be taken when you make comparisons, otherwise you're liable to compare offerings in very different categories. Stated another way, I don't see why they'd dump Symbian if it was really pulling in the numbers that it should.
Comments
It's really a silly argument.
I think the comparison between OEMs is a lot more reasonable, especially when we remember that Apple started from nowhere only a few years ago - I mean - my mother still uses a phone that is older than Apple's presence in this market.
At current rates Apple will overtake Moto within a year in the US. That's huge.
What I would like to see are numbers giving sales figures. I mean sales, not "sales" as in free with contract, or buy one get one. How many handsets were actually exchanged for cash in addition to a contract? The reason I ask is because two of my friends use Android smartphones ONLY because they came "free" with the contract.
Android is capturing so much of the market with handsets and little of app sales because most Android users don't want to pay for anything they don't have to. Neither of my friends leave on their 3G service because they chose the lowest data plan. They don't buy any apps either.
I can't see that the Android "giveaway" can be sustained. I'm probably wrong though.
Here in Spain, or in UK or Italy you can get iPhones 4 for free depending on the contract. Are those also "sales"?
Frankly, no one serious cares. Not when Apple is said to be gaining share, not when Android is said to be gaining share, at the levels they are at.
The only issue is who is making any money at this so as to cover their cost of capital. Apple is, Google is not.
What? How do you compare moneymaking in a business when one company's profits are calculated based on GR minus COGS (read primarily hardware) and the other makes no hardware? You can compare MS and GOOG, but not AAPL with either? To force a comparison would be naive and plain wrong. So pls stop doing that because you're smart enough to know better, aren't you?
Here in Spain, or in UK or Italy you can get iPhones 4 for free depending on the contract. Are those also "sales"?
Yes. Apple still gets money. The carriers pay them.
Yes. Apple still gets money. The carriers pay them.
Ah, carriers don't pay HTC or Motorola?
I can't see that the Android "giveaway" can be sustained. I'm probably wrong though.
Huh? You can get an iPhone-4 free on contract in some places, it's completely sustainable - the contract is effectively a lease on the hardware with free minutes thrown in.
The real proof for android phones low margins is the cheap pay-as-you-go offers. From Orange in the UK you can pick up an Android handset for £80 with no contract, the cheapest unlocked iPhones are about £400.
Ah, carriers don't pay HTC or Motorola?
They do, but less - we can estimate it by looking at PAYG prices (from orange UK)
HTC WIldfire S - £170.
S-E Xperia X8 -£120
S-E Xperia X10 - £160
HTC Cha-Cha - £190
3GS - £400
iPhone-4 £600
Kinda different eh?
One interesting outlier
HTC 7 Mozart (WP7) £410
I have no idea what to make of that.
What? How do you compare moneymaking in a business when one company's profits are calculated based on GR minus COGS (read primarily hardware) and the other makes no hardware? You can compare MS and GOOG, but not AAPL with either? To force a comparison would be naive and plain wrong. So pls stop doing that because you're smart enough to know better, aren't you?
You don't understand what 'cost of capital' means do you?
Would you like me to explain?
Kinda different eh?
Yes
Galaxy SII £499.90
HTC Desire S £429.90
HTC Sensation £459.90
And?
Yes
Galaxy SII £499.90
HTC Desire S £429.90
HTC Sensation £459.90
And?
There are definitely some high margin HTC products and Samsung products, however that's not where the bulk of the Android market share is - and none of them have margin to compare to the £600 iPhone-4.
Android overall has been good for handset maker margins, but it hasn't pushed them anywhere near to Apple levels on average, and the profit numbers make that fairly clear.
There are definitely some high margin HTC products and Samsung products, however that's not where the bulk of the Android market share is - and none of them have margin to compare to the £600 iPhone-4.
Android overall has been good for handset maker margins, but it hasn't pushed them anywhere near to Apple levels on average, and the profit numbers make that fairly clear.
Yes, but the original discussions was that given away phones can't count toward sales
Yes, but the original discussions was that given away phones can't count toward sales
Yeh - I'm with you on that, 'given away' on a £40/month 18month contract is still plenty profitable. HTC and Samsung seem to have sustainable businesses, but Moto & S-E are pretty questionable.
Samsung sells more than any others? Wow.
Puts everything in persepctive doesnt it?
Puts everything in persepctive doesnt it?
What perspective would that be? That most of the global phone market is still the standard feature phone and not a smart phone?
Puts everything in persepctive doesnt it?
To put things even further into perspective Nokia still sells more than any other handset maker world wide. Which shows you how far Android and iOS both still have to go.
It would be interesting to know who the biggest US smartphone maker is though, it's almost certainly Apple.
What perspective would that be? That most of the global phone market is still the standard feature phone and not a smart phone?
Now, that puts things into perspective.
certainly not the iPhone 4. it's so delicate! but beautiful. they really need to do away with the glass back. how many cracked and shattered iPhone 4's do we need?
I've thumped, dropped, tossed, and carried it in my pocket with assorted nasty sharp objects and it hasn't cracked scratched or failed. If that's "delicate", I can't wait until they toughen it up more! I frankly don't need any cracked iPhones and haven't ever had one in spite of my treatment of it. Besides a cracked back only costs 29 bucks to replace anyway - should that ever happen. Perhaps if you stopped moshing with it taped to your forehead, or driving over it?? *wink*
I've thumped, dropped, tossed, and carried it in my pocket with assorted nasty sharp objects and it hasn't cracked scratched or failed. If that's "delicate", I can't wait until they toughen it up more! I frankly don't need any cracked iPhones and haven't ever had one in spite of my treatment of it. Besides a cracked back only costs 29 bucks to replace anyway - should that ever happen. Perhaps if you stopped moshing with it taped to your forehead, or driving over it?? *wink*
Agreed - I actually find it's a bit tougher than my original iphone
i care! look..it's still in its infancy but i think it's a cool start. i like the live tiles and the metro ui. but it certainly doesn't have nearly all of the features that android and iOS have. it would be good to have 3 dominant mobile os's to keep everyone on their toes and keep the innovation coming. competition is great in the technology sector.
The highlighted section is a statement I wonder about all the time. Aple needs competitors to keep innovating? Really? So when they jumped into the smartphone market segment all the other OEM were poised to leap ahead in design and function but Apple beat them to it? Not when you compare the Nokia N series, the Android pre-iPhone prototype, the BB Bolds/Curves/Tours, HTC's P, T or S series (pre Android), all of these and the rest were incrementalists not innovators. Apple stepped out in front of pretty much everyone, established the capacitive touch benchmark. Apple spent some time tightening up its own platform and when the time is right - they will do it again.
And again, the whole "tablet" thing. Netbooks. Who else is delivering innovation at the same rate Apple is - and I do mean deliver - not just "talk". So if Apple is characteristically out-innovating everyone else without there being significant competition - what good is there in saying that "competition is great"? Or is this yet another commerical truism that is used to justify mere incrementalism and "running in the pack"?
To put things even further into perspective Nokia still sells more than any other handset maker world wide. Which shows you how far Android and iOS both still have to go.
The thing is, what is Nokia's platform breakdown? Most of Nokia's handsets are feature phones, Android and iOS are not feature phone OSs. Care needs to be taken when you make comparisons, otherwise you're liable to compare offerings in very different categories. Stated another way, I don't see why they'd dump Symbian if it was really pulling in the numbers that it should.