Apple iPhone keeps getting stronger in smartphone segment
Posted by Will on Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 at 12:32 pm under Uncategorized
With only one product and a late-year launch, Apple has really done well for itself with the iPhone. The fastest-growing segment in the mobile phone industry is the smartphone segment, and it's been growing every year - growing 72% over 2006. And, a new report from Canalysis estimates that Apple became the world's third-largest smartphone manufacturer in Q4 2007. Apple has apparently taken up a cozy position behind Nokia and RIM in global smartphone shipments in the quarter.
“When you consider that it launched part way through the year, with limited operator and country coverage, and essentially just one product, Apple has shown very clearly that it can make a difference and has sent a wake-up call to the market leaders,” said Pete Cunningham, Canalys senior analyst.
Further, the iPhone has attained a 28% smartphone market-share in the US for Q4 2007. That puts the iPhone in second-place, trailing RIM's (the BlackBerry maker) 41% market-share. To put this into perspective, Palm's 9% share and Windows Mobile's combined 21% share has already been over-shadowed by the iPhone. But, then again, we're not all that surprised, given that the iPhone's market-share already overtook Windows Mobile in Q3 2007.
In the European theater, the iPhone (which launched halfway through the quarter in limited countries) took fifth-place behind Nokia, RIM, HTC and Motorola. What's surprising is that the Apple phone has clinched more market share than long-time smartphone makers Sony Ericsson and Palm.
By OS, overall global market share looks like this:
- Symbian 65% share
- Microsoft on 12%
- RIM on 11%
- Apple on 7%
- Linux at 5%
The iPhone clearly has quite a way to go in Europe, and the market-leaders are already working furiously to push out a touch-based interface to compete with the user experience delivered by the iPhone. The European theater could prove to be a tough nut to crack for Apple, but in the US, it's clear that the iPhone is making serious inroads to the smartphone market.
[Via: Canalysis]
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February 5th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
DAMN! Look at Nokia and Symbian go…
February 5th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
One would think Apple would realize they probably would have sold 3X as many iphones if the phone was unlocked and ready to use on any network -
February 5th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
I just wonder how many articles like this are going to be tortured out of the "at least four billion units shipped".
Oh, wait. It's 2.4 billion units "shipped" now… and it AWESOME!
February 5th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
And by the way - by the standards of that survey, any dumb phone capable of playing video and serving push- mail (oh, wait! Gasp!), that somehow wasn't included - has already crushed all the other smartphones.
Seriously - don't you see how dependent Apple and their investors are on getting these "predictions" out there?
February 6th, 2008 at 1:06 am
But still this wake up call has not made any difference they are still making bricks. I am sure that with the launch of iPhone 2 Apple will be no.1 in smart Phone segment.
February 6th, 2008 at 4:58 am
Yes, why bother with the actual (non- existent) sales- figures for the first one, when the second one hasn't been made yet. They could really soar! Really, it's going to be AWESOME!