Apple Sneaks by Android in Fourth Quarter U.S. Smartphone Sales

[Taz Mangus]

I guess it's true that denial is the fruit of people's ignorance. In this case, a bunch of apple defense force.

Both HTC and Samsung are no way in hell in hell struggling for profits.

Some people really need to pull their head out of their ass...

You sure like using the phrase "apple defense force" A LOT. I guess there are people who are getting defensive on both sides.

 

[voonyx]

It was expected that Apple iphone sales would skyrocket since the 4s just came out. Nothing to see here. Move along.

There's actually a lot of entertainment being provided in this thread by the androids. You should stick around.

 

[Taz Mangus]

It was expected that Apple iphone sales would skyrocket since the 4s just came out. Nothing to see here. Move along.

And yet you decided to stop in and do what tell others there's nothing to see here? I think some people need to follow their own advice.

 

[BaldiMac]

It was expected that Apple iphone sales would skyrocket since the 4s just came out. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Fantastic! All a company needs to do to have the 4th best quarter in history is release a new product. Why didn't anyone else think of that?

 

[voonyx]

Fantastic! All a company needs to do to have the 4th best quarter in history is release a new product. Why didn't anyone else think of that?

Yeah Google wasn't thinking when they released the Nexus so late in the 4th quarter. Had they done it early on, we woulda had our first iPhone killer!

 

[BaldiMac]

Yeah Google wasn't thinking when they released the Nexus so late in the 4th quarter. Had they done it early on, we woulda had our first iPhone killer!

Have you not been paying attention at all? Delaying a release three months is what leads to record sales. You know, pent up demand.

 

[fertilized-egg]

Not to mention the 8MP camera lense that I if I am not mistaken is designed in-house at Apple. I don't believe that Samsung supplies those parts either.

I think that camera is from Sony and OmniVision and not Apple. But no, it is not Samsung.

Contrary to the popular belief, Samsung supplies surprisingly little portion of iPhone. They do supply two most expensive part - the A5 chip and the flash memory but I believe flash memory is sourced from multiple companies and in the iPhone that don't have Samsung flash, LG and Qualcomm supply parts that are about as expensive as the A5 chip, AFAIK.

Yeah Google wasn't thinking when they released the Nexus so late in the 4th quarter. Had they done it early on, we woulda had our first iPhone killer!

I've seen numerous writing online on how the Galaxy S2 will kill iPhone and all the Galaxy S2 models were released in the USA between September and November. Yet it killed iPhone just as much as HTC EVO killed iPhone two years ago. (remember those good times?)

 

[Drunken Master]

There are also a lot of good guy programmers who watch out for Android malware, which is fairly easy because of the upfront permissions required in all Android apps before installation. A tip calculator from Nigeria that asks for phone access would be a big red flag, for example.

What, so Nigerians aren't allowed to calculate tips now?

That's racist, man!

 

[voonyx]

Have you not been paying attention at all? Delaying a release three months is what leads to record sales. You know, pent up demand.

Guess they dropped the Bionic too early...I mean 8 month delay?? Clearly not long enough to build up that demand.

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I've seen numerous writing online on how the Galaxy S2 will kill iPhone and all the Galaxy S2 models were released in the USA between September and November. Yet it killed iPhone just as much as HTC EVO killed iPhone two years ago. (remember those good times?)

Yeah the androids were boasting about 5M Galaxy S2's sold in like 85 days or something, and that "once it comes to the US, it's over for the iPhone"...

not...quite.

 

[linux2mac]

Well, I'll agree that "worshippers" need not be the only people here. However, the rest of your post implies that Apple's iDevices are not Apple products. Sometimes I can auto-correct bizarreness or errors for my comprehension, but this one has too many possible choices. Aiden has little interest in any Apple products, be they hardware, computers, software, mp3 players, etc. His continued mocking of those that do have interest, here at an obviously Apple-specific site, is confusing. Esp now that SJ has died, since ridiculing him was Aiden's main purpose in being here. It inches closer and closer to pure trolling.

That's been the phenomenon in Apple-centric site for years. In other sites, other than occasional trolls, you don't get posters who persistently participate in topics that they dislike so much just to be the "voice of reason" against the "worshippers." Yet in Apple-centric sites, that's now almost an accepted norm.

Then again Apple has always been the main target of geeks who couldn't accept the idea that a company refuses to be another commodity Windows PC builder and some buyers are "irrational" enough to buy computers that aren't rock-bottom priced. Now that Apple is succeeding in an unbelievable way with mobile devices with a thriving Mac business, it can't be helped that the same complainers feel more desperate about educating the "worshippers".

Well said fellas.

Also, many of the supposed "worshippers" have lengthy Windows experience and have tried both Mac and Windows rather than come at this one sided trumpeting the Apple horn. I had been a Windows user for two decades before switching to Linux and then to the greener pastures of OSX. I still keep Linux servers around as I support them for clients. Having used Windows, Linux, and OSX I can say without a doubt that Windows is horrible. ( Interestingly a repairman was over at my home office during the lunch hour and noticed all my Macs. He too said he switched his business to Mac three years ago because he was tired of "always having to tinker with Windows.")

 

[samcraig]

I love the "entertainment being provided in this thread by" some of the Apple fans just as much as all the "androids."

Seems to me that both "types" should not be so emotionally invested and relax a bit. You know - just enjoy whatever device they use without worrying about what his neighbor is using or prefers? Crazy, I know!

 

[AppleScruff1]

I love the "entertainment being provided in this thread by" some of the Apple fans just as much as all the "androids."

Seems to me that both "types" should not be so emotionally invested and relax a bit. You know - just enjoy whatever device they use without worrying about what his neighbor is using or prefers? Crazy, I know!

Some don't even own an iPhone and are beating their chests like Tarzan. Quite entertaining.

 

[samcraig]

Some don't even own an iPhone and are beating their chests like Tarzan. Quite entertaining.

I am sure he'll blahhg about it soon enough if he hasn't already.

 

[*LTD*]

Fantastic! All a company needs to do to have the 4th best quarter in history is release a new product. Why didn't anyone else think of that?

Time for another WebOS-based device scam. Who's up for another Weekend at Bernie's, brought to you by.... ?

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Well said fellas.

Also, many of the supposed "worshippers" have lengthy Windows experience

It's what drive me (and so many others) to a Mac in the first place.

 

[fertilized-egg]

Yeah the androids were boasting about 5M Galaxy S2's sold in like 85 days or something, and that "once it comes to the US, it's over for the iPhone"...

Just as iPhone is dominant in the USA, Samsung is the household name in Korea and Koreans have always been very aggressive on buying up the latest phones. Among those millions, nearly half of them were sold in Korea alone.

Beyond the usual Android vs. iOS argument, it's always interesting to look at how each region differ in their preferences. For instance Koreans have always trusted the Samsung brand. Also because they tend to pirate pretty much all their audio and video content and watch them on the subways, being able to copy those files directly without something like iTunes and watch them on a large screen without re-encoding is considered more important in that specific market. iRiver and Cowon survived for a long time against iPods because of those factors.

Apple does provide numerous benefits but it's still interesting to see how some regions want the features that run directly against Apple's philosophy.

On a related note, this is where Kindle Fire fails. Amazon doesn't really have much international presence whereas Apple is now a huge international powerhouse.

 

[kdarling]

Nielsen research puts Android ahead instead

Seems like aiden "misunderstood the data"

In what way? Aiden pointed out that 44.9% Apple vs 44.8% Android (those are 4Q USA sales) ... being 0.1% apart... is not a statistically big difference. They basically sold equally.

At least, they did if Kantar's figures are correct. On the other hand, Nielson's 4Q sales numbers are almost the same for Apple, but higher for Android:

Nielson's research divided it up as 46.9% Android, 44.5% Apple.

Sounds like a case of "there will be as many numbers as there are analysts and report companies"

This is why hanging your hat (of any type) on sales numbers is ridiculous. If your favorite is behind, sales don't matter, quality does. If your favorite is ahead, quantity is suddenly important. It's a silly battle and has been for decades in internet discussions.

 

[voonyx]

In what way? Aiden pointed out that 44.9% Apple vs 44.8% Android (those are 4Q USA sales) ... being 0.1% apart... is not a statistically big difference. They basically sold equally.

At least, they did if Kantar's figures are correct. On the other hand, Nielson's 4Q sales numbers are almost the same for Apple, but higher for Android:

Nielson's research divided it up as 46.9% Android, 44.5% Apple.

Sounds like a case of "there will be as many numbers as there are analysts and report companies"

Because Aiden, in his haste to make this seem insignificant, failed to mention that that 44.9% represents a DOUBLING of their US share YOY during the same quarter. So it's not just a little "bump" as Aiden made it out to seem. The little "bump" that Android had from 50% to 44.8% is more important though.

 

[linux2mac]

It's what drive me (and so many others) to a Mac in the first place.

So true!!

Yet we are called Apple "sheep, fanbois, worshippers" for making the switch to Mac on a Apple specific website by the Windows and Android folks (who waste their time on a forum for products which they do not own)!

 

[Eidorian]

It's what drive me (and so many others) to a Mac in the first place.

And that is what drove me away...

 

[JAT]

No it does not imply iDevices are not Apple products and I am trying to figure out how you can draw that conclusion.
What it says is iDevices are among many of Apple products. This means an iPhone users can and often times is a Windows user and can really dislike OSX. Or the use OSX but like Android better and so on.

Caaling Aiden a troll kind of degrades your entire post and view. Linux has been called out multiple times for spreading FUD.

Why don't you read your previous post again. This is what I assumed you meant, but I couldn't be sure. You typed "Apple" when you meant "OSX" or "Mac". It's confusing when you don't use language and grammar properly.

Aiden's posts, at least in the News threads, are mostly mockery of other posters. I have certainly had civil and informative conversations with him, and even agreed on many things, like most things about Bluray. Doesn't change facts about his Apple/SJ attitude.

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And that is what drove me away...

Long Windows experience drove you away from Mac?

 

[Eidorian]

Long Windows experience drove you away from Mac?

The Mac user base did.

The endless extremism, fanaticism, sycophancy...I do not really know how to put it into words. Then again that is only a small portion of the whole. It pushed me over to Linux and my own new little social circle. Now there you have your variety of passionate user but I do not subscribe to that. Just give me a computing environment where I there is not such a fixation on the profits of a single "insert company here".

Excess is just disgusting to me but that is still just my opinion.

 

[*LTD*]

The Mac user base did.

The endless extremism, fanaticism, sycophancy...I do not really know how to put it into words. Then again that is only a small portion of the whole. It pushed me over to Linux and my own new little social circle. Now there you have your variety of passionate user but I do not subscribe to that. Just give me a computing environment where I there is not such a fixation on the profits of a single "insert company here".

Excess is just disgusting to me but that is still just my opinion.

So it's not the product, but the .... people?

 

[JAT]

The Mac user base did.

The endless extremism, fanaticism, sycophancy...I do not really know how to put it into words. Then again that is only a small portion of the whole. It pushed me over to Linux and my own new little social circle. Now there you have your variety of passionate user but I do not subscribe to that. Just give me a computing environment where I there is not such a fixation on the profits of a single "insert company here".

Excess is just disgusting to me but that is still just my opinion.

I think you hung out with the wrong people. They would have been fanatic over something, regardless. The endless condescension of Linux guys and (completely misplaced) superiority-complex of Windows/IT guys kept me on Mac. I always find it funny when people try to physically look down their noses at me. I'm 6'4".

 

[Icaras]

And that is what drove me away...

Yet what keeps you and others glued to this site. Fascinating.

 

[kdarling]

Because Aiden, in his haste to make this seem insignificant, failed to mention that that 44.9% represents a DOUBLING of their US share YOY during the same quarter.

I think YOY is meaningless until the whole market settles down. We're still going through the falling out of RIM, WM and Symbian. Heck, YOY Android grew by almost 900% from the beginning of 2010 to the start of 2011. So what? If someone starts out small, they'll have big statistical gains.

So it's not just a little "bump" as Aiden made it out to seem. The little "bump" that Android had from 50% to 44.8% is more important though.

Ah. He didn't mean "bump" as "little hill", he meant "bump" as in "push". He said:

- Apple introduced a highly anticipated new model early in the quarter, so intelligent analysis would consider that Apple got a "bump" from people who were waiting for the new model, and most likely that "bump" won't be seen in following quarters (until the Iphone 4S² or whatever the next model is called comes out)

• He was pointing out that it's historically expected for Apple to get a short term big sales increase from people waiting for a new model... especially in this case with the extra delay.
  
• The iPhone was not on Verizon or Sprint last year, and there was no 99 cent model. Those alone must count for a big piece of the increase in sales YOY.
  
• At the same time, Android buyers were waiting until the 2012 electronics shows to see what new models were coming out.
  
• RIM, which used to take a big chunk, is out of favor.

So, there was a latecoming new model, major holiday, two major new carriers, and a super cheap model that reportedly sells extremely well. It would almost be a miracle if Apple's US sales share did not double from the year before when they only had a half year old model for sale on ATT during the Holiday Season.