No, it’s not the Top 10 iPhone web-apps list that I put together yesterday – although, you should check it out (and leave a comment if you like/dislike any of the web-apps on the list).
This time around, the iPhone has, like a hunting dog that runs into the field and returns with a dead gander clenched between its teeth, gone and secured Apple’s position as a Top 10 global handset vendor. According to market research by Gartner, Apple has taken up a cozy home on the Top 10 list – with less than 1 percent of the global market – among Nokia, Motorola (yes, they’re still in the Top 10), RIM and ZTE (China is huge, remember?).
The achievement is notable not so much because Apple is playing with the “cool” kids now, but because it illustrates just how competitive the mobile phone business really is. Nokia dominates with 37.8% or 40%, depending on who you trust with your market share numbers, and Motorola’s global presence is dropping like a rock (from 21.5% to 11.9%), but Apple managed to score a Top 10 with just 0.6% market share. Apple’s got a long way to claw it’s way to the top-ish region of the Top 10 list, but with the 3G iPhone on the horizon, maybe Motorola could make some room for Apple?