Apple Overtakes Samsung As World's Top Smartphone Vendor in Q4 2016

[slingshott]

Samsung have about a thousand models so their potential customer base is literally everyone who wants a phone. Apple aren't trying to cater to everyone. That graph kdarling put up should make Apple immune from any criticism ever again - when have they ever produced anything as abysmal as the Card3? I mean what even was that thing.

 

[scotttnz]

Bolstered by the popularity of the iPhone 7

But I thought the iPhone 7 was a massive flop, and everyone was waiting for the iPhone 8?

That's what the internet keeps telling me, and the internet is always right!

 

[kdarling]

I don't think iPhones get sent to a landfill in New Mexico because people aren't buying them. Though they would keep the E.T. cartridges company if they did!

Yep. Along with all the IBM PCjrs and Apple Lisas which also ended up in landfills

Wonder what future archaeologists are going to make of those caches?

 

[Michael Scrip]

Yep. Along with all the IBM PCjrs and Apple Lisas which also ended up in landfills

Wonder what future archaeologists are going to make of those caches?

My IBM PCjr is safe in my parent's attic!

 

[slingshott]

But I thought the iPhone 7 was a massive flop, and everyone was waiting for the iPhone 8?

That's what the internet keeps telling me, and the internet is always right!

It's a flop in the eyes of this crowd. Anything with an Apple logo on will sell to the general public though wouldn't you agree? Saying that I still bought one.

 

[skinned66]

this sucks, now they're never gonna make new desktops.

They will and they'll have more glue than a kindergarten macaroni art project.

 

[AdonisSMU]

It's a flop in the eyes of this crowd. Anything with an Apple logo on will sell to the general public though wouldn't you agree? Saying that I still bought one.

Macs don't sell well.

 

[69Mustang]

My bad.

So are there stores that have tons of iPhones that they cannot unload on customers?

Geez... Apple sold 800,000 iPhones every day last quarter. How long did each one have to sit on the shelf before finding an owner?

Not long, right?

I'm not questioning whether or not Apple sells phones quickly. I was questioning what you wrote. It was kind of out there. As for inventory being out there... you must remember Apple wrote down a ton inventory in the 2nd Qtr in 2016 and did a $2+ billion dollar channel inventory reduction in the 3rd Qtr 2016.

 

[v0lume4]

What's wild about these numbers is that Apple manages to be the top smartphone vendor in the world while only competing in the high-end segment.

Samsung (previously #1) sells low-end AND high-end phones.

 

[I7guy]

Macs don't sell well.

Tim says they sell well.

 

[code-m]

Not surprising, Samsung did drop the ball.

The spin doctors at MacRumors.com have done it again, rather than say that Samsung has more shipped units in 2016, the headline reads Apple overtakes Samsung in Q4 2016. What is more impressive is that Samsung shipped as many smart phones in Q4 2016, regardless of the Note 7 recall. Imagine if there was no recall with the Note 7, Samsung would have performed Apple my greater lengths. Plus I am not a Samsung or Apple fan boy/girl, I analyze the posted article.

"Alternative Facts" brought to you by the Trump Administration. Including MacRumors.com and the vocals of the fan boy/girls of this forum.
[doublepost=1485983809][/doublepost]

What's wild about these numbers is that Apple manages to be the top smartphone vendor in the world while only competing in the high-end segment.

Samsung (previously #1) sells low-end AND high-end phones.

Samsung sells low/medium/high end phones. The Note 7 which also fits into the high end category was recalled due to Samsung's ambition to release a product before it was ready.

Apple only compete in the medium and high end phone market with the 5SE/7/7S. Unless you consider previous years models that are discounted to fit in the medium market segment.

What is impressive to note is that Samsung sells a variety of phones for various markets globally and has not shortages. While Apple sells in the medium and high end market segments and they still have issues meeting shipping demands, what is this amateur hour by Tim Cook and Co, how long has the iPhone been on the market now approximately 10 years and they still cannot get it right. Supply and Demand, well if there are wait times of weeks and months it does not fair well for Apple to keep underestimating market demand on the off change their are not confident of their product release.
[doublepost=1485983895][/doublepost]

Tim says they sell well.

Tim has to say his companies products sell well, he is the "CEO." What do you expect him to say?

"Alternative Facts" brought to you by the Trump Administration. Tim Cook and Co play by the same playbook.

 

[CarlJ]

Total Click bait, I think macrumors is the troll in the room

Nope, clickbait would be:

"Apple Overtook Samsung As World's Top Smartphone Vendor in Q4 2016 with this one weird trick"

 

[Michael Scrip]

I'm not questioning whether or not Apple sells phones quickly. I was questioning what you wrote. It was kind of out there.

What I wrote was in response to someone's comment about Apple's shipped numbers tracking closer to sales numbers to end users.

In other words... an Apple product that is "shipped" to a store gets "sold" to a customer. Whether it's immediately or it takes a week or two... it happens.

Like I asked... do we think many Apple products get sent back to Apple because they couldn't find a buyer?

 

[AppStoreNerd]

It's not clickbait, it's exactly what it says. The title states Apple overtakes Samsung as top smartphone vendor in Q4 2016. The numbers show Apple sold 78.3 million in Q4 '16, whilst Samsung sold 77.5 million in Q4 '16. 78.3 is more than 77.5.

did u consider the extra week apple added compared to last year? 1 week of extra sales could make some difference. if u remve that extra week it will look bad for apple
http://www.theverge.com/2017/2/1/14468090/apple-q4-2016-earnings-extra-week

 

[CarlJ]

Remember back when Apple fans liked not being part of just another mass consumer product owned by everyone from kids to grannies, rich or poor?

(Yes, I did see the sarcasm tag.) Eh, I've always liked things that worked together well (especially when they're Unix-based). I'm happy to see Apple have success (both because it's nice to see good/deserving people succeed, and because it means they'll likely be around to keep updating the bits I like), but my fondness for Apple is not influenced by whether or not they're successful. I've met people who want to have the cool phone that no-one else has, but I'm not one of them.

 

[69Mustang]

Like I asked... do we think many Apple products get sent back to Apple because they couldn't find a buyer?

Well, an inventory write down and a channel inventory reduction says that yes, from time to time, Apple ships more than it sells and a correction has to be made. That's not saying it's every quarter but it does happen. I'm sure someone can go back through their quarterly reports to find the instances.

 

[code-m]

Like I asked... do we think many Apple products get sent back to Apple because they couldn't find a buyer?

Apple Refurbish Store says that there are iPhone 6/+ and 6S/+ available due to the upgrade program. Hence the iPhone 7/+ "sold" many. The Upgrade program accounted for quite a bit as well.

"Alternative Facts" now adopted by Tim Cook and Co from the Trump Administration.

 

[mi7chy]

I don't think iPhones get sent to a landfill in New Mexico because people aren't buying them.

Every heard of stock buy back? Apple buying back it's excess inventory is the same idea.

 

[Michael Scrip]

Well, an inventory write down and a channel inventory reduction says that yes, from time to time, Apple ships more than it sells and a correction has to be made.

Sure... but the iPhone eventually gets into the hands of a consumer.

It does not get sent back to Apple and ground up for scrap metal.

So whether it gets shipped now and sold later... or sold immediately when it reaches the shelf... it still gets sold.

And that goes back to the earlier comment about Apple's shipped numbers being almost identical to sold numbers.

 

[code-m]

Sure... but the iPhone eventually gets into the hands of a consumer.

It does not get sent back to Apple and ground up for scrap metal.

Apples iPhone Recycling Program with its fancy robot says that iPhones will be recycled with models as recent as the 6 and 6S.

"Alternative Fact" now adopted by MacRumors forum users.
[doublepost=1485986662][/doublepost]

Every heard of stock buy back? Apple buying back it's excess inventory is the same idea.

Apple like any intelligent company and manufacturer will recycles the components that it desires. Hence the iPhone 6S 2016 model has a storage bump compares to the 6S 2015 model. To my knowledge there were no other changes adopted for the 2016 model.

 

[Michael Scrip]

Apples iPhone Recycling Program with its fancy robot says that iPhones will be recycled with models as recent as the 6 and 6S.

"Alternative Fact" now adopted by MacRumors forum users.

Recycling Program is when an existing iPhone 6 and 6S user turns in their used iPhone to get a new iPhone.

That's different that a pallet of new iPhones sitting in a warehouse that no one ever buys.

The latter is what I've been talking about. In other words... I've never heard of a store having to send new-in-box iPhones back to Apple because they couldn't sell them to a consumer.

 

[code-m]

The latter is what I've been talking about. In other words... I've never heard of a store having to send new-in-box iPhones back to Apple because they couldn't sell them to a consumer.

Not sure what time of custom agreements Apple has with it various retail partners. May differ or may be the same, hard to say. When Apple Authorized Resellers could not sell product and a new released product available, the resellers had the option to discount the item and sell it within a set period of time or send it back to Apple to either redistribute it to another reseller, put it on the refurb store or recycle it. Then again that was a long time ago, not sure what agreements are made now. Curious to know though.

 

[I7guy]

The spin doctors at MacRumors.com have done it again, rather than say that Samsung has more shipped units in 2016, the headline reads Apple overtakes Samsung in Q4 2016. What is more impressive is that Samsung shipped as many smart phones in Q4 2016, regardless of the Note 7 recall. Imagine if there was no recall with the Note 7, Samsung would have performed Apple my greater lengths. Plus I am not a Samsung or Apple fan boy/girl, I analyze the posted article.

"Alternative Facts" brought to you by the Trump Administration. Including MacRumors.com and the vocals of the fan boy/girls of this forum.
[doublepost=1485983809][/doublepost]

Samsung sells low/medium/high end phones. The Note 7 which also fits into the high end category was recalled due to Samsung's ambition to release a product before it was ready.

Apple only compete in the medium and high end phone market with the 5SE/7/7S. Unless you consider previous years models that are discounted to fit in the medium market segment.

What is impressive to note is that Samsung sells a variety of phones for various markets globally and has not shortages. While Apple sells in the medium and high end market segments and they still have issues meeting shipping demands, what is this amateur hour by Tim Cook and Co, how long has the iPhone been on the market now approximately 10 years and they still cannot get it right. Supply and Demand, well if there are wait times of weeks and months it does not fair well for Apple to keep underestimating market demand on the off change their are not confident of their product release.
[doublepost=1485983895][/doublepost]

Tim has to say his companies products sell well, he is the "CEO." What do you expect him to say?

"Alternative Facts" brought to you by the Trump Administration. Tim Cook and Co play by the same playbook.

Prove beyond a "shadow of a doubt" they didn't sell well. Of course you first have to define "sell well" or "not sell well". So yeah, spin, spin, spin.

 

[Wowereit]

​

Despite the Q4 results, Samsung maintained first position in annualized figures, with 309 million units shipped worldwide in 2016, compared to Apple's 215 million units.

Well, Samsung's top selling device was released at the end of Q1 and probably got most of it's sales during Q2.
Apple's top selling device was released at the end of Q3 and probably got most of it's sales during Q4.

No Apple bashing here, it's impressive how many units Apple sold by just offering expensive flagship phones, but Q4 means a huge advantage for Apple.

 

[code-m]

Prove beyond a "shadow of a doubt" they didn't sell well. Of course you first have to define "sell well" or "not sell well". So yeah, spin, spin, spin.

Logic dictates that if you are the CEO of any company, you are always going to says positive things about it regardless if truth and facts say otherwise. In a CEO opinion "sells well" could mean anything, as we do not know what his expectations are or were.

In an alternate reality, a CEO informs the market that guess what one of our products is not "selling well" however we are still going to sink money into it and risk it in the event this product rebounds and its a shame that we spent a lot of that R&D funds for a dud product. Want to guess how the market will react? ;-)

Plus the facts by Apple is that the iPhone accounts for 69% of its sales and profits is shocking that their have majority of their eggs in the iPhone basket. That is some risky investment strategy.