Apple shipped 90.1M iPhones in Q4 to oust Samsung as world's top smartphone vendor, report...

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
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in iPhone edited January 2021
Apple shipped an estimated 90.1 million iPhones during the last three months of 2020, according to research firm IDC, catapulting the tech giant far ahead of longtime rival Samsung.




Data from IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker points to a record quarter for Apple, with 90.1 million iPhones shipped for a 23.4% share of the global market. That figure is up a massive 22.2% year-over-year and represents the highest quarterly shipment volume since IDC began tracking smartphone metrics.

"There are a lot of elements at play that are fueling the smartphone market recovery - pent-up demand, continued supply push on 5G, aggressive promotions, and the popularity of low to mid-priced phones," said Nabila Popal, research director with IDC's Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers.

Apple CEO Tim Cook offered a similar take on iPhone performance during a quarterly investor conference call on Wednesday, saying iPhone 12 helped drive massive earnings of $111.4 billion for the company's first fiscal period of 2021. China, for example, exhibited pent-up demand for a 5G iPhone, while all regions reporting sales growth on the back of record upgrades led by "Pro" models.

According to Apple, iPhone's installed user base now sits at more than one billion people.

Apple's massive gains are impressive considering the company dropped to fourth place in global smartphone marketshare last quarter.

Previous No. 1, Samsung, dropped to second place on 73.9 million units shipped and a 19.1% marketshare, IDC says. The South Korean firm eked out growth of 6.2% year-over-year, but was unable to keep pace with Apple, Xiaomi and Oppo. According to a fourth quarter disclosure, Samsung's mobile business contracted 11% due to "intensified competition in the year-end season" and higher marketing costs, reports CNET.

Xiaomi retained its position in third with 43.3 million smartphones shipped for an 11.2% share of the market, up 32% from the same time last year. Oppo also gained ground with 33.8 million shipments for an 8.8% slice of the pie. Huawei suffered a precipitous fall during quarter four to end the period in fifth place with 32.3 million units shipped, down 42.4% from 2019.

It should be noted that firms like IDC do not have insight into Apple's supply or retail chains and provide estimates based on independent research. The methodology, and more importantly results, of market research firms have been brought into question in the past, with Apple executives dismissing the data as largely incorrect.

Overall, the smartphone market is healing after fallout from the coronavirus pandemic stunted both manufacturing and sales. IDC sees 4.3% year-over-year growth for the sector, in line with typical market seasonality.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    ericthehalfbeeericthehalfbee Posts: 4,486member
    Silly to compare total phones shipped when Samsung sells mostly low-end devices (under $200).

    Less than 25% of Samsung sakes are comparable models to an iPhone. So it’s really more like 90 million vs 19 million.
    gregoriusmBeatswatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 12
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    Sorry. 

    IDC hasn’t a clue. 

    Don’t pay attention to their incessant analytical farting, no matter which way the gas is blowing. 
    edited January 2021 chasmlkruppBeatswatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 12
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,291member
    The actual figure is in.

    IDC says iPhone sales were up 22.2 percent; it turns out it was actually 17 percent.

    IDC claimed Apple shipped 90M iPhones, but sell-through numbers would suggest that it was quite a bit lower. There is a difference between shipped and sell-through, but Maestri mentioned during the call that they had REDUCED iPhone inventory on some models (coughIPHONE12MINIcough) and had constraints on others, and Apple has traditionally tracked shipped and sell-through very closely, unlike some other brands that engage in channel-stuffing.

    So no, Apple most likely did not overtake Samsung in shipping overall. Samsung continues to do very well with low and mid-range phones in numbers that would make Cook's jaw drop, largely in markets where Apple doesn't do as well.

    In short, IDC (and Gartner) make up their numbers, are consistently and provably wrong, and anyone paying attention to their numbers (much less paying for their "service") is a fool.
    muthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 12
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    And remember, the vast majority of Samsung’s 73.9 million units were cheap, low-end phones. But, like Rayz2016 pointed out, IDC is the last place to get accurate information about Apple. 
    SpamSandwichBeatswatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 12
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,279member
    chasm said:
    The actual figure is in.


    So no, Apple most likely did not overtake Samsung in shipping overall. Samsung continues to do very well with low and mid-range phones in numbers that would make Cook's jaw drop, largely in markets where Apple doesn't do as well.


    Can't equivocate sales with "doing very well". Samsung has been making low-end phones for years yet consistently makes no profit from them.
    SamsonikkBeatswatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 12
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,291member
    mike1 said:
    Can't equivocate sales with "doing very well". Samsung has been making low-end phones for years yet consistently makes no profit from them.
    Fair point, but I meant in terms of sales numbers rather than profit. But you are right: their combined flagships this year combined are expected to sell about as well as the least-popular iPhone 12 individual model. I'm sure they make some profit on their mid- and low-end crap, but it's not in Apple's league at all.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 12
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    This happens a lot. This is Apple’s biggest quarter, because the holiday quarter is always their biggest quarter by far. And, they intro new phones coming into the quarter. So often they do outsell Samsung. But then their sales fall off enough so that for the rest of the year, and Samsung comes out with models in the first half of the calendar year, so that they move ahead, and stay there.

    ‘’this year, Samsung is coming out with their new models pretty early, about now, instead of mid February to March.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 12
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member

    mike1 said:
    chasm said:
    The actual figure is in.


    So no, Apple most likely did not overtake Samsung in shipping overall. Samsung continues to do very well with low and mid-range phones in numbers that would make Cook's jaw drop, largely in markets where Apple doesn't do as well.


    Can't equivocate sales with "doing very well". Samsung has been making low-end phones for years yet consistently makes no profit from them.
    While Apple makes most of the profit in the industry, Samsung is number two. You should look to LG as the problem. In the past five years, they’ve lost over $4.5 billion on smartphones, and now they’re thinking of getting out of the business.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 12
    BeatsBeats Posts: 3,073member
    Stopped reading at IDC(I don’t care). 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 12
    looplessloopless Posts: 329member
    chasm said:
    The actual figure is in.

    IDC says iPhone sales were up 22.2 percent; it turns out it was actually 17 percent.

    IDC claimed Apple shipped 90M iPhones, but sell-through numbers would suggest that it was quite a bit lower. There is a difference between shipped and sell-through, but Maestri mentioned during the call that they had REDUCED iPhone inventory on some models (coughIPHONE12MINIcough) and had constraints on others, and Apple has traditionally tracked shipped and sell-through very closely, unlike some other brands that engage in channel-stuffing.

    So no, Apple most likely did not overtake Samsung in shipping overall. Samsung continues to do very well with low and mid-range phones in numbers that would make Cook's jaw drop, largely in markets where Apple doesn't do as well.k

    In short, IDC (and Gartner) make up their numbers, are consistently and provably wrong, and anyone paying attention to their numbers (much less paying for their "service") is a fool.
    Since no one knows the actual figures ( as Apple does not release them) then what you say is as unreliable as what you claim IDC’s numbers are..
    edited January 2021 watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 12
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    chasm said:
    The actual figure is in.

    IDC says iPhone sales were up 22.2 percent; it turns out it was actually 17 percent.

    IDC claimed Apple shipped 90M iPhones, but sell-through numbers would suggest that it was quite a bit lower. There is a difference between shipped and sell-through, but Maestri mentioned during the call that they had REDUCED iPhone inventory on some models (coughIPHONE12MINIcough) and had constraints on others, and Apple has traditionally tracked shipped and sell-through very closely, unlike some other brands that engage in channel-stuffing.

    So no, Apple most likely did not overtake Samsung in shipping overall. Samsung continues to do very well with low and mid-range phones in numbers that would make Cook's jaw drop, largely in markets where Apple doesn't do as well.

    In short, IDC (and Gartner) make up their numbers, are consistently and provably wrong, and anyone paying attention to their numbers (much less paying for their "service") is a fool.
    Since you know far less than they do, why are you bothering us with your uneducated guesses?
    watto_cobra
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