Apple Regains Market Share in Some Countries with Strong iPhone 5s Sales

[BaldiMac]

It makes total sense. You complain just because you don't understand the BIG difference between the vehicle industry and the smartphone industry. In the smartphone industry (or PC industry, or tablet industry), OS type matters the most, because the OS decides the software development environment which in turn decides the real capability of the devices.

Which doesn't take into account forked, incompatible versions of Android, usage share, country-specific development, third-party integration, and many other factors.

Again, market share needs context to be a valuable metric.

 

[Max(IT)]

Still comparing dozens of different droids sales with two (at best three) iPhone's model ...

 

[69650]

Hard to believe that Windows has jumped to nearly 10% in some countries. I know they've been advertising a lot in the UK but I don't see many people using Windows phones. Just about the only phones using it are Nokia. I like Nokia and like their current range of phones but having been left totally bemused by the new tiles based Windows 8.1 on a friends laptop recently I would absolutely hate to use a Windows phone.

 

[Max(IT)]

Only 19% in Europe? Why is Apple weak here? It's a rich, Western economy with affluent consumers (compared to developing markets) nearly always paying more for American electronic goods than Americans do (eg Adobe software, Microsoft software, Apple hardware and so on). Maybe that's the problem?

Or perhaps Apple just doesn't understand the European way of doing things. Whatever, they seriously need to address this issue; a difference of 35% to 19% is just too big.

In Europe subsidized phones are not so popular as in US and japan ... Easy to understand why a costly smartphone doesn't sell like cakes.
Is not a coincidence that UK , where subsidized are more popular, has much higher market share.

 

[ghost of jobs]

Yeah, I have! I am using S5 and fit gear right now.... so yes.
But didn't know they sell more phones then Apple.

Well now you do our kid, you can thank me later.. #

 

[tongxinshe]

For example, if I want to write notes with a stylus, I have to buy Android tablet, even if I like Apple very much.

A very bad example, there are plenty of stylus you can buy and use with iPads.

 

[Max(IT)]

The price is a factor, however I am convinced that the main reason iPhone's sell so unusually poorly in Italy is how unusually poorly they are represented in stores in Italy.

If you go in to any major electronics chain store in Italy, all the iPhones are uncharged, ugly screen protectors half peeled off, generally looking like pieces of **** stuffed into a back corner. Meanwhile, you see huge bright white Samsung showcases surrounded with all kinds of promotional stuff and all the staff hovering around dying to sell Samsung products. It's almost comical.

I am convinced that Apple would be better off not selling devices under such conditions at all. It makes Apple look like pathetic loser getting utterly crushed by uber awesome Samsung And for no reason other than that whoever is in charge of Apple's retail presence in Italy is apparently incompetent.

You are partially right.
But there are quite a lot of Premium Resellers and several Apple Stores in Italy ...

IMHO the main reason for poor market share is PRICE.
iPhone starts at 729€ (it is more than 1000$ ! ) and thee aren't true subsidized offers.
The best you can find is something like 100€ upfront and then 15€/month for 30 months (!!!)
It is still 550€ and you have to pay a 29€/month contract (with ONLY 100 Mb/month of data !!!!!! ) for 30 months ...

This is just plain ridiculous.
On the SAME CONTRACT you can have a Samsung S5 with only 50€ upfront and 10€/month .... Guess what is more attractive ?

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Yep, it's still an evolution of the 4 really.

Everything should rocket when the 6 comes out in September.

From iPhone 4 to iPhone 5S there is an universe of difference ....

You could say that iPhone 5S was too similar to iPhone 5, especially regarding exteriors and screen ....

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I wish there was some other way to illustrate smartphone market share.

Right now it's broken down by platform... which seems like a good idea on the surface. Some companies are the platform... in the case of Apple and Blackberry. And Windows Phone is primarily Nokia at this point.

But then there's "Android"

The problem is... any phone running a version of Android is counted the same. It doesn't matter if it's a $599 flagship like the Galaxy S5... or a $59 el-cheapo phone sold in a developing nation. They all get the same credit. There is no distinction between various levels of phones.

Many industries have specific classifications of products. The automobile industry is a prime example.

Nobody compares sales of luxury sedans to sales of econobox hatchbacks... do they? Of course not. There are many different segments of the automobile industry.

But in the smartphone industry... everything is lumped together under one segment. It just seems weird.

I'd love to see these charts broken down between "under $400" and "over $400"

Apple doesn't sell a phone below $400. You could say Apple has 0% of the "under $400" market.

And yet... Apple is compared to companies who only sell phones under $400

That doesn't make a lot of sense.

You are absolutely right.
And I'll add more: nobody is saying that Microsoft market share gain is mostly because of Lumia 520 sales. A very good and very cheap smartphone, under 100€ in many markets.

 

[tongxinshe]

Which doesn't take into account forked, incompatible versions of Android, usage share, country-specific development, third-party integration, and many other factors.

You obviously didn't follow closely with the industry development. During the Android 2 and 3 days, the fragmentation was quite true. That had no longer been that much since Android 4. Now, with Android 4.2 - 4.4, it's practically almost non-existent.

 

[Max(IT)]

Italians loves Samsung, thats why!

Yes .... Especially the sub 150€ models

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If you consider how popular the chineses phones are in these coutries, the iPhone is a big hit. Here in Spain, the market is practically saturated with low-end android phones both from Samsung and other manfucaturers. In the high-end segment of the market, iPhone is dominating. You can actually could say that the iPhone is the most popular smarthphone in the 500+$ price tag.

So these are great numbers in my opinion, especially if you consider that the iPhone has only 2 phones, both flagship devices, and both are more expensive than any android device. I think its not fair to comapre the iPhone sales numbers with the the low end Android smarthphone sales numbers. Its like comparing Playstation sales number and Xbox sales, including PS Vita.

iPhone is no way equal to a 200$ Motorola, Samsung or other low-end smarthphone, so the comparison is stuped.

The majority of the people who has Galaxy Mini for example cant afford iPhone and thats the only reason these people are on Android platform. Actually, the existance of low-end market segment with people who cant or dont want to spend 600+$ on smarthphone is the only reason Android has any significant market share.

If we compare iPhone sales numebers with Galaxy S5 or Sony P1 or HTC One or other flashship smarthphone, im sure that Apple is beating them 5 to 1 and in the case of Nokia 20 to 1.

Chinese ? Not in Italy ... Here only Samsung or Nokia.

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Well, if you only look at price, then yes, they are not the same smartphone.

If you look at their characteristics, they are in the same range.

But how can anyone compare smartphones by its characteristics and not just their price, they must be fools.

Moto G like iPhone 5C ? Maybe in your dream ...

 

[Konrad9]

I wish there was some other way to illustrate smartphone market share.

Right now it's broken down by platform... which seems like a good idea on the surface. Some companies are the platform... in the case of Apple and Blackberry. And Windows Phone is primarily Nokia at this point.

But then there's "Android"

The problem is... any phone running a version of Android is counted the same. It doesn't matter if it's a $599 flagship like the Galaxy S5... or a $59 el-cheapo phone sold in a developing nation. They all get the same credit. There is no distinction between various levels of phones.

Many industries have specific classifications of products. The automobile industry is a prime example.

Nobody compares sales of luxury sedans to sales of econobox hatchbacks... do they? Of course not. There are many different segments of the automobile industry.

But in the smartphone industry... everything is lumped together under one segment. It just seems weird.

I'd love to see these charts broken down between "under $400" and "over $400"

Apple doesn't sell a phone below $400. You could say Apple has 0% of the "under $400" market.

And yet... Apple is compared to companies who only sell phones under $400

That doesn't make a lot of sense.

Who is selling phones for under $400? The Moto G is under $400 without contract and so is the Nexus 5... are there really that many other phones out there under $400?

If so, please point me towards them because I'd love to take a look.

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Still comparing dozens of different droids sales with two (at best three) iPhone's model ...

People on this board don't seem to mind that when Apple is shown more favorably.

 

[Oletros]

Moto G like iPhone 5C ? Maybe in your dream ...

If you're happy thinking that, how am I to break your illusions?

 

[Max(IT)]

The Motorola G is perfectly comparable to those devices and the fact that it costs around 1/3 of their price just shows that nowadays you don't need to go high end to have a good smartphone experience.

A snapdragon 400 is not even comparable to A6.
Not even speak about the camera, or the lack of LTE .... or dual band wifi ... or IPS display ... or 1080P video recording ...

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If you're happy thinking that, how am I to break your illusions?

I say again, if you can't read above.

A snapdragon 400 is not even comparable to A6.
Not even speak about the camera, or the lack of LTE .... or dual band wifi ... or IPS display ... or 1080P video recording ...

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Good point.

Price masking can include such things as subsidies, outright loans, and trade-in programs. That's why Apple has been encouraging or providing the latter two methods in places without carrier subsidies.

When people use the term "subsidy", they mean all those methods.

--

As an aside, there are plenty of charts showing the wholesale price range of phones being sold around the world. Basically it's like:

• ........ 40% over $500
• ....... 35% between $200-$500
• ..... 25% less than $200

The cheapest wholesale price (low end) phones are not the biggest sellers, like many people think, because the hidden phone price is not the important factor.

What's more important, is what people pay directly out of pocket. In that case, yes, it'll most likely be the lower perceived price deals that are the majority... whether that's a unsubsidized $250 Chinese Android phone, or a $200 subsidized iPhone 5S.

All around the world, rich or poor, the magic price limit for most people is ~$250, whether subsidized or not. (I didn't come up with this number, btw; it's a known factor. It's why Ballmer laughed at the idea of the original iPhone selling for $600 in the US, and it's why carriers subsidize phones to be at or below that limit. )

Please link this "plenty of charts" ....

 

[peterdevries]

are you therefore saying that the 4s has at least 2-3 the level of experience and quality of apps compared to a moto g?

i would argue that apple has lost their focus on the above mentioned qualities. their level of treatment for users on older hardware and/or software is bordering on appalling.

No, because I have never used a Moto G. What I'm saying is that most consumers looks first to what they can DO with a phone as opposed at how many memory cycles it has or how much ppi the screen is.

Most consumers are interested in a well built handset, with a good responsive screen (and yes I think Apple needs to build a bigger one), no lag and access to most apps and music that are available. It doesn't matter to the consumer whether it doesn't have a lag as a consequence of 4 cores or a better built OS.

 

[Renzatic]

A snapdragon 400 is not even comparable to A6.
Not even speak about the camera, or the lack of LTE .... or dual band wifi ... or IPS display ... or 1080P video recording ...

It's not about the specs, it's about the user experience. The average person doesn't want to record video in 1080p, so...

 

[BaldiMac]

You obviously didn't follow closely with the industry development. During the Android 2 and 3 days, the fragmentation was quite true. That had no longer been that much since Android 4. Now, with Android 4.2 - 4.4, it's practically almost non-existent.

You obviously don't know what you are talking about. That has nothing to do with what I said. You are referring to the efforts that Google has made to partially address fragmentation in official Android distributions. I specifically referred to forked, incompatible versions of Android, among other issues.

 

[Renzatic]

I specifically referred to forked, incompatible versions of Android, among other issues.

Yeah, but besides Amazon's OS for the new Kindles, how many of those are out there and selling well?

They don't count as an Android activation anyway, since Google only count those that can use Google services, which most forked versions won't have.

 

[Max(IT)]

That's not true at all

The fact is apple sales are falling everywhere

Could you at least read some basic charts ? Everywhere ?
Apple is gaining share in:
GB
France
Spain
Australia
Japan
EU5

no exactly third world countries ...

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Okay that isn't based on any fact

And japan is very small country

The headlines are misleading

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Yup

A lot of normal people have android

Apple apologists believe that only poor people buy android

It's shameful and disgusting.

Shame on you apple apologists

You

You disgust me

Japan is a small country ???
On which planet do you live ?

 

[nebo1ss]

I don't know if anyone else has experienced this, but I know a number of people who absolutely refuse to have anything to do with itunes and hence will never have a device that is so integrated with itunes.

 

[Max(IT)]

Even the cheapest $100 dual-SIM, 1GHz, Jelly Bean, tiny screened Samsung Galaxy Star, still gets good reviews from its users, who bought it because of the price.

Everything is relative, because we've come so far. It's like the difference between a $1,000 VCR when they first came out, and a $200 VCR years later. A $200 smartphone can now be quite nice.

As for Samsung in particular, they sold 86 million smartphones in the winter quarter, with revenue of about $28 billion. That's an average WHOLESALE (not retail) price of $325 per phone. That's not low end territory these days.

I don't know what is your agenda, because if someone educated like you says that a galaxy star or a 200$ droid is a nice phone, I just don't belief at what I'm reading ....
I can name only one model in that pric range that is definable like a nice phone: Moto G.
And it is far from being a top seller worldwide

 

[BaldiMac]

Yeah, but besides Amazon's OS for the new Kindles, how many of those are out there and selling well?

I think that they bulk of these forked AOSP-based smartphones are Chinese. Xiaomi, for example, uses a forked version called Miui.

They don't count as an Android activation anyway, since Google only count those that can use Google services, which most forked versions won't have.

I didn't say anything about Google activation. I was talking about market share reports, such as the one produced by IDC.

For more information:
Android’s dominance is not quite as rosy as it seems though, with most of the growth coming from forked Android operating systems (137% year-on-year), mainly in China, India, and adjacent markets. Forked Android or Android Open Source Project (AOSP) accounted for 25% market share with 71 million unit shipments, as opposed to certified Android’s share of 52%, of a total of 77% market share.
Read more at http://macdailynews.com/2014/01/30/...of-the-android-ecosystem/#mKW0a3hcXG34VvZ9.99

 

[AppleScruff1]

You are partially right.
But there are quite a lot of Premium Resellers and several Apple Stores in Italy ...

IMHO the main reason for poor market share is PRICE.
iPhone starts at 729€ (it is more than 1000$ ! ) and thee aren't true subsidized offers.
The best you can find is something like 100€ upfront and then 15€/month for 30 months (!!!)
It is still 550€ and you have to pay a 29€/month contract (with ONLY 100 Mb/month of data !!!!!! ) for 30 months ...

This is just plain ridiculous.
On the SAME CONTRACT you can have a Samsung S5 with only 50€ upfront and 10€/month .... Guess what is more attractive ?

----------



From iPhone 4 to iPhone 5S there is an universe of difference ....

You could say that iPhone 5S was too similar to iPhone 5, especially regarding exteriors and screen ....

----------



You are absolutely right.
And I'll add more: nobody is saying that Microsoft market share gain is mostly because of Lumia 520 sales. A very good and very cheap smartphone, under 100€ in many markets.

How much is an S5, M8, or Note 3 in Italy? Are all of the flagship phones similar in price like they are here?

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It's not about the specs, it's about the user experience. The average person doesn't want to record video in 1080p, so...

Correct. The average user wants to record in 4K.

 

[Max(IT)]

You obviously didn't follow closely with the industry development. During the Android 2 and 3 days, the fragmentation was quite true. That had no longer been that much since Android 4. Now, with Android 4.2 - 4.4, it's practically almost non-existent.

You sure ?
You seem to be wrong , according to android developer board....

http://developer.android.com/about/dashboards/index.html?utm_source=ausdroid.net

There is still 18% of users using Gingerbread ... Yes I'm speaking of the 2010 version 2.3
Do you know why ? Because there are tons of cheap droids with 2.3 on the market.

 

[Max(IT)]

Who is selling phones for under $400? The Moto G is under $400 without contract and so is the Nexus 5... are there really that many other phones out there under $400?

If so, please point me towards them because I'd love to take a look.

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People on this board don't seem to mind that when Apple is shown more favorably.

Ok, take a seat and make you comfortable ...

Nokia Lumia 520
Nokia Lumia 525
Nokia Lumia 620
Nokia Lumia 625

Samsung galaxy s3 mini
Samsung galaxy star
Samsung galaxy grand neo
Core advance
S duos
Round
Fresh
(I stop because Samsung is flooding the market with cheap phones)

Motorola Moto G

Sony Xperia e1
Xperia L
J
M
(I stop because sony covered almost all the alphabet)

LG
....
No, please, give me a break, there are just too much and I'm tired

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It's not about the specs, it's about the user experience. The average person doesn't want to record video in 1080p, so...

Best joke of the day: user experience of a cheap droid better than an iPhone ?
Well, this thread is becoming hilarious lately ....

So specs matter only when in favor of android based flagships ? Interesting point of view ....

----------

How much is an S5, M8, or Note 3 in Italy? Are all of the flagship phones similar in price like they are here?

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Correct. The average user wants to record in 4K.

S5 and M8 are slightly cheaper than iPhone 5s (699€ vs 729€).
Note 3's price dropped at about 599€ (as usual for Samsung phones, their prices start to drop after a few months).

 

[AppleScruff1]

[/COLOR]

So specs matter only when in favor of android based flagships ? Interesting point of view ....

You've got it backwards. Specs only matter when they favor Apple. Market share is only important when Apple leads or in the case of this article where they gained. The countries where they lost market share? Market share isn't important and they only sell 3 phones versus 867 different Android phones from 89 different manufacturers which are mostly cheap junk. In any area where Apple is behind, statistics don't matter.

Did I get it right?


Disclaimer: This was intended to be a humorous post. It's beyond my control if there is a bit of truth to it.

 

[numlock]

Again, context matters. There's nothing hypocritical about Apple posting market share numbers when they are in their favor. It means a lot more to be gaining market share when you also lead in profit share, developer support, accessory support, third-party integration, etc.

Having an 80% share means a lot less if you have none of those things.

so in short use it when it suits you and when it dosent there are all these caveats.

for me its even shorter either subscribe to this metric or not.