Apple Continues to Close on Nokia for Title of World's Top Smartphone Vendor

[CFreymarc]

These are skewed stats. The definition of a "smartphone" has not been consistent. If you can run BREW apps, you are a smartphone -- NOT!!

Nokia, has been constantly screwing up trying to do a high end smartphone. They try their own platform, they lay off the engineers and go WM7 and that has not seen fruit except a lot of warehouse stock and rather high returns. If you do this right and not take advertising money from various influencial thrid parties, I am sure Apple is ahead.

 

[AppleScruff1]

How else will you learn?

I would think that someone with your foresight would be an analyst or perhaps the president of Apple's marketing and public relations.

 

[lPHONE]

Am I missing something? The Android fanbots claim that THEY are the #1 selling smartphone. I've also seen Mac people agree with those claims.

 

[caspersoong]

That's really great and awesome news. Apple is spreading their influence in Southeast Asia now, too. They were previously unknown but are growing faster than ever here. Now only if there were a nearby Apple Store...

 

[ChazUK]

Am I missing something? The Android fanbots claim that THEY are the #1 selling smartphone. I've also seen Mac people agree with those claims.

You are missing a lot I think. Canalsys just released their smartphone operating system sales figures. This includes each individual smartphone running iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7, Bada, symbian and others lumped into their respective groups.
For you:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/canalys-android-now-35-pct-of-global-smartphone-market/

To appease my confusion, what is a "fanbot"?

 

[Cod3rror]

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Amazing! This proves that you don't need dozens of different models to succeed, just one amazing phone with an amazing software that appeals to all demographics. Nokia's business model of smartphone(several)-per-demographic is obsolete.

Also take into account that Nokia at this point is using tricks and counts S40 phones into smart phones, if they actually counted their "real" smartphones on Symbian^3 their numbers would've been much, much lower.

 

[zacman]

Also take into account that Nokia at this point is using tricks and counts S40 phones into smart phones, if they actually counted their "real" smartphones on Symbian^3 their numbers would've been much, much lower.

That's nonsense. First it's not Nokia but IDC that decide what to count as an smartphone. Second the number only includes Symbian devices and S40 is not Symbian.

 

[zacman]

I'm just researching it so far, but Windows Phone 7 is now on my list. I have a friend with an Omnia 7, I am very impressed.

You can get an Omnia 7 unlocked with 16 GB now for about 250 € in Europe. Even if you don't use it as a phone it's still a nice MP3 touchscreen player with GPS. The iPod touch 8 GB on the other hand costs 230 € and doesn't have GPS or 3G.

 

[wangjinyu7]

Well-deserved progress for iPhone and Apple, glad to see Apple follow her own roadmap to move forward without taking competitors' comments that much.

 

[Steve121178]

RIM is dead.

Samsung and others are doing well for now but the android craze will die in a couple of years.

This is probably the most ridiculous prediction I have ever heard in my life. Android is going from strength to strength...

 

[Themaeds]

I hope that someday soon the only phone to be sold will be the iPhone. Can you imagine the great feeling to know that every phone in the world is an iPhone?

Everyone on earth would be late for work! Yowzaaaa!

 

[Themaeds]

This is probably the most ridiculous prediction I have ever heard in my life. Android is going from strength to strength...

To try and understand how someone could ever think that way please watch south park from last week. Hilarious.

 

[eviler]

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Samsung ain't doing that bad at all!

I thought the opposite...

Doesn't Samsung sell a ton of the Galaxy S series of phones? I could have sworn they were close to Apple in sales...

I guess not...

Oh that's cos half of them returned back their Galaxies for mistakenly thinking it was an iPhone. Pffft.

 

[Cod3rror]

That's nonsense. First it's not Nokia but IDC that decide what to count as an smartphone. Second the number only includes Symbian devices and S40 is not Symbian.

If that's true then I stand corrected and impressed. Nokia surely managed to unload a ton of that Symbian crap upon the world.

 

[gorgeousninja]

I thought smart phones in general are not big in Japan and everybody was already surprised how many iPhones they sold through Softbank (at least that is what I was reading on the web - you might have more insights since you are in japan)

iPhones are now everywhere in Japan and by extension the whole 'smartphone' market is expanding, with rival carriers releasing as many Android devices as they can build.

It's true that many people were surprised by the success of the iPhone because they had banked on Japan remaining largely ignorant of any device not developed from within.

Indeed Japan does still pride itself on the many 'Galapagos' devices ie devices that wont work, or be useful outside of Japan.

What they failed to see is that the sheer elegance and ease of use of the iPhone far outweighs any cultural problems and Softbank has been picking up the most new customers for many months now.

Not so long ago NTT Docomo were the most cash-rich and best equipped telecoms company in the world. With foresight and excellent strategic planning it could have easily gone on to become the biggest global operator.

Unfortunately, foresight and strategic planning are not often viewed as valuable resources in Japan, and so for NTT, and after a series of taking the company down blind-alleys, including dismissing the iPhone, the company has been steadily losing its once massive market-share.

 

[kdarling]

These are skewed stats. The definition of a "smartphone" has not been consistent. If you can run BREW apps, you are a smartphone -- NOT!!

True, in some ways, the definition of a smartphone is "I know one when I see one"

When the iPhone first came out, it was locked down to the apps that it came with. Which, according to the usual definitions at the time, made it a "featurephone".

So it is slightly ironic that a cheap flip phone which can download and use BREW apps, is still considered a "dumbphone".

Interestingly, while Apple has just hit the $2 billion mark in royalties spread out over tens of thousands of developers, BREW apps have hit $3 billion in royalties to far fewer devs.

People talk about the latest app stores, but dumbphones have been a quietly huge app market for a decade. Heck, until lately, even ringtone sales brought in 0.7 billion dollars a year in the US alone.

iPhones are now everywhere in Japan and by extension the whole 'smartphone' market is expanding, with rival carriers releasing as many Android devices as they can build.

Yes, it's amazing that just a year or two ago, there was almost no Android phones in Japan. Now they're everywhere, with TV tuners, etc.

It's true that many people were surprised by the success of the iPhone because they had banked on Japan remaining largely ignorant of any device not developed from within.

And indeed, the iPhone barely sold in Japan until Softbank started offering it for free or nearly so. Then it took off.

Indeed Japan does still pride itself on the many 'Galapagos' devices ie devices that wont work, or be useful outside of Japan.

Right. So the question is, will Japan will go back to mostly buying its own products now that Japanese Android handsets are proliferating.

 

[marksman]

What is funny is Apple has almost as many units shipped as HTC and Samsung, yet 100% of Apples are smartphones.

This is why all those silly android penetration studies are so meaningless. They literally mean or show nothing.

Apple is the #1 Smartphone maker in the world by a HUGE margin.

I hope that someday soon the only phone to be sold will be the iPhone. Can you imagine the great feeling to know that every phone in the world is an iPhone?

I know you have done nothing but truck roll these forums in the few short months you have been here...

But while your sarcastic and misplaced statement is wrong, I do believe MOST everyone would be better off with an iPhone 4 right now as it is the best smartphone on the market bar none.

The second best is the iPhone 3GS. So yeah, if I wanted anyone to have a real good user experience with a smartphone, I would want them to have one of those two devices.

 

[kenypowa]

What is funny is Apple has almost as many units shipped as HTC and Samsung, yet 100% of Apples are smartphones.

So is HTC, 100% of their phones are smartphones.

 

[ten-oak-druid]

This is probably the most ridiculous prediction I have ever heard in my life. Android is going from strength to strength...

Android is not going away. But its popularity will wane. Probably Windows phone will grow, iOS will have some more growth in next generations and something else will come along. Developers will spend more time on lines that make them money. This will catch up to Android. But there will be people who will continue to use it I'm sure. Some just to be stubborn.

Give it about 3 years and Android usage will start to noticeably decrease.

My prediction is given as an opinion with some reasoning.

 

[GFLPraxis]

RIM is dead.

Samsung and others are doing well for now but the android craze will die in a couple of years.

Nah. Android's going to become the Netbook of phones, purchased by people who need cheap but functional devices and don't care about usability/design. They'll be given away free and most applications will be ad-supported because the userbase is cheap.

Android will be everywhere in the low-end of smartphones, IMO. iOS will a better environment for paid apps because it has a userbase willing to pay for good software.

 

[ten-oak-druid]

True, Google Maps on Android is higher quality than the version on iOS. Ditto is often said for YouTube. Some apps like USAToday are also a little better on Android.

However, most of the apps I use daily on both iOS and Android are about equivalent. Trulia, eBay, Amazon, Cars, Kayak, Birds, mail, weather.

Other than that, iOS has the more globally available copy/paste. Android has its globally available voice input. Six of one, half dozen of the other.

Right. So I don't think the claim of "more free apps" on android is going to be a real selling point. I have seen several comments by and about developers preferring iOS and other environments over Android because it is not profitable. There were some comments about the programming itself too being a problem because of the large variety of devices. So overall I believe in a few years time, people with android devices will see more options and better apps on other devices. For some this will be a reason to switch. But many will still find benefit from android. The android system will lose in market share though in my opinion. Some will go to iOS and others will choose another option.

 

[maclaptop]

Nokia WP7 phones will create trouble for Apple

Yes they will. Fear based bashing of Nokia has already commenced, just like Apple fan bois fear based attacks on Google.

At the first sign of interest by the public, Steve Jobs worshipers join with Pastor Steve, and the assault begins.

Little do they realize the size of the hole they're digging.

Just like a few months ago when it was fashionable to reject a larger screen, now suddenly when it looks like it may happen, they flip flop and act as though its great. They even go to great lengths to draw mock ups.

It's very impressive how they've turned hypocrisy into an art form.

 

[*LTD*]

Yes they will. Fear based bashing of Nokia has already commenced, just like Apple fan bois fear based attacks on Google.

At the first sign of interest by the public, Steve Jobs worshipers join with Pastor Steve, and the assault begins.

Little do they realize the size of the hole they're digging.

It's very impressive how they've turned hypocrisy into an art form.

The only thing to fear from Nokia in the last few years is having to listen to their management's tired excuses.

Poorly run, delusional tech company joins another poorly run, delusional tech company. One thought their only problem was execution. The other blames rounding errors and likes to arrive after last call is over. One tech loser plus another tech loser equals one really big tech loser.

What's to fear? MS doesn't know what they're doing in the mobile space and the company is in decline. Just one of the many reasons consumers don't really care about their latest Zune-that-can-make-calls. Still late. Still nothing revolutionary. Still needs fixing. It's another Zune. But this time Nokia gets to sink with the MS ship.

 

[maclaptop]

The only thing to fear from Nokia in the last few years is having to listen to their management's tired excuses.

Poorly run, delusional tech company joins another poorly run, delusional tech company. One thought their only problem was execution. The other blames rounding errors and likes to arrive after last call is over. One tech loser plus another tech loser equals one really big tech loser.

What's to fear? MS doesn't know what they're doing in the mobile space and the company is in decline. Just one of the many reasons consumers don't really care about their latest Zune-that-can-make-calls. Still late. Still nothing revolutionary. Still needs fixing. It's another Zune. But this time Nokia gets to sink with the MS ship.

Denial works wonders for many.

 

[erzhik]

Do Nokia actually produce Smartphones??

There wouldn't be a smartphone if it wasn't for Nokia. just fyi.

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Amazing! This proves that you don't need dozens of different models to succeed, just one amazing phone with an amazing software that appeals to all demographics. Nokia's business model of smartphone(several)-per-demographic is obsolete.

Also take into account that Nokia at this point is using tricks and counts S40 phones into smart phones, if they actually counted their "real" smartphones on Symbian^3 their numbers would've been much, much lower.

Before bashing Nokia, think of something that makes sense.