Samsung Easily Tops Apple to Become World's Top Smartphone Manufacturer

[Eidorian]

Considering you can get an iPhone 3GS for free or an iPhone 4 for $99 sure they can. In fact if they can't afford an iPhone they probably can't afford the data plan that goes with any smartphone.

Hardware is cheap, service contracts are not. Wi-Fi is plentiful and I know what stores have free Wi-Fi or even one of the 23 library locations in my county. Otherwise I have my pre-paid SIM for emergencies and Skype for everything else. I get GPS too. Take that iPod Touch that I waited for so long.

Failing that I can always get $30/month no contract from T-Mobile. I would rather save or invest my money instead of paying for little used data/voice services. Not to mention it functions just as well as a PDA without any SIM card at all.

 

[Burger Thing]

No, that was the Apple fanboyism. I switched from iPhone to Galaxy S2 and would never go back. The S2 --IS-- the better smartphone and the only competition that it has... comes from Samsung: Galaxy Note, Nexus Prime.

You buy an iPhone because you want a status symbol, but you buy a Galaxy because you want the best smartphone on the market. It's that simple.

And your post is what? Objective? The S2 is a good phone, no doubt. But is it the best? The best in what exactly? Some people (like myself) want a great all in one device, inclusive music player. But even the old 3GS wipes the floor with the S2 when it comes to audio quality. Here, you have it: plug in a GOOD pair of earplugs and you hear how mushy and basically awful the sound quality is compared to the iPhone.

Here, I found a link in your native language for your reading pleasure.Galaxy S2

A bit OT, but what is starting to pi$$ me off a bit here in MR, is that you have a very vocal group of people (and we all know who they are) usually bashing the so called "fanboys", stating how one-sided their postings are. But dear me, if one has a tiny weeny bit of criticism over a non-apple product, the same Gang comes in and start defending and pulling the Fanboy card.

"Hmmm, I don't like he fact that the new Nokia 800 series phone has no front facing camera and 16 GB is a bit weeny for holding a large music library" ... Answer: "What? How dare you to say that. Since when does Specs matter. You silly biased lover, you... Bla Bla Bla "

Objectivity goes both ways. Some people tend to forget that here on MR.

 

[Kuges]

from the Huffington Post at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/28/samsung-apple-smartphone-sales_n_1063400.html#comments

"The world's biggest technology firm by revenue reported a 4.25 trillion won operating profit for the July-September quarter, broadly in line with its earlier estimate of 4.2 trillion won."

Kinda makes you wonder why Samsung is playing around in all these court battles....they could easily devour Apple if they chose to. Or just squish it completely.

edit: and that's just seems to be Samsung's tech division.....considering just how big it is, it's a wonder they even notice Apple. (woot for the down checks on this post)

 

[thewitt]

Does it matter how many are on the selves, or are not being sold by retailers? the way i see it, samsung has sold 20+ million phones to carriers and retailers, to them, that is all that matters.

Of course it matters.

HP "sold" 200,000 tablets to its retailers. Those retailers sold 20,000 to the public and then Best Buy said they were returning all remaining stock. HP had not sold 200,000 tablets. They had only really sold 20,000.

Now they are out of the tablet business after having to dump their inventory at a loss.

Shipping into the supply chain is not selling to the consumer.

This is why Apple has always reported end user purchases as sales and not shipments to the supply chain as their key performance indicator.

Samsung has always reported shipments because it makes them look better than they really are.

It's a strategy. Nothing more.

Now I hope Samsung sells every one of those phones, and I hope they continue to innovate, not copy, and help drive the market. I can tell you that around here there are no lines, no waiting and no out of stock issues for any Samsung model, however the iPhone is again out of stock everywhere.

 

[slinky199]

LTD, stop ignoring me!

Since you claim that not selling well is equivalent to non innovative, you opinion states that the Newton, Lisa and NeXT are borderline retarded, right?

Yes or no?

 

[vitzr]

I wonder how much larger Samsungs sales volume would be if Apple had not interfered and prevented Samsung from selling in certain markets. Like most "news" I doubt we have the real truth behind Apples claims. Without that, everything else is meaningless.

 

[darkplanets]

from the Huffington Post at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/28/samsung-apple-smartphone-sales_n_1063400.html#comments

"The world's biggest technology firm by revenue reported a 4.25 trillion won operating profit for the July-September quarter, broadly in line with its earlier estimate of 4.2 trillion won."

Kinda makes you wonder why Samsung is playing around in all these court battles....they could easily devour Apple if they chose to. Or just squish it completely.

edit: and that's just seems to be Samsung's tech division.....considering just how big it is, it's a wonder they even notice Apple. (woot for the down checks on this post)

Just FYI according to current exchange rates that's around 3.81 tn USD. Keep in mind Apple is sitting on a huge pile of cash plus marketable securities... that would make any "crushing" hard to do. Plus there's the purported issues of Samsung's slush fund and tax evasion... I haven't heard much about it (I don't really pay attention to SK news) so what the outcome of that was/is is unknown to me.

 

[Taz Mangus]

Samsung spokesman Nam Ki-yung wouldn't comment on whether Samsung had passed Apple Inc. in smartphone sales, saying the company no longer provides its sales figures for handsets.

What a bunch of BS, Samsung has no problem reporting SHIPPED handsets but won't report actual SOLD handsets. The Samsung reality distortion field!

 

[lilo777]

Samsung spokesman Nam Ki-yung wouldn't comment on whether Samsung had passed Apple Inc. in smartphone sales, saying the company no longer provides its sales figures for handsets.

What a bunch of BS, Samsung has no problem reporting SHIPPED handsets but won't report actual SOLD handsets.

Would you stop this BS? You look desperate. Samsung stopped reporting these stats a while back. They do not report any data - neither sales nor shipments. They used to report shipment data but they stopped. The shipment data did not come from Samsung. It came from research firm Strategy Analytics. Apple lost this battle (if there was one). Move on.

 

[something3153]

wow. I never said anything like that.

Do you have any proof that they all were sold to retail customers?

Don't really know how to make it any clearer for you.

You threw around a whole lot of "if"s trying to cast doubt on the reporting. Either (1) Samsung is the best-selling smartphone vendor or (2) there are millions of Samsung smartphones filling up warehouses unsold. Which is it? If you pick (1), your earlier post is meaningless. If you pick (2), as your post strongly implied, you need to provide some evidence for the massive stockpile of Samsung smartphones. Again, which is it?

 

[AidenShaw]

Apple's cash makes them *more* vulnerable, not less.

Keep in mind Apple is sitting on a huge pile of cash plus marketable securities... that would make any "crushing" hard to do.

Note that Apple's cash would immediately belong to the company that buys Apple - in effect an $80B "discount" on the apparent purchase price.

 

[darkplanets]

Note that Apple's cash would immediately belong to the company that buys Apple - in effect an $80B "discount" on the apparent purchase price.

While that's true, in order to do a hostile takeover you would have a significant cost in terms of stock price. Obviously Apple would not concede to a mutual takeover. Not to mention that US regulators would have a panic attack and probably intervene regardless of the intent in order to "protect US assets."

 

[AppleScruff1]

Hey, I could totally write some 2000 words on my experience from iOS to Android to WindowsPhone7 and now back to iOS.

But what's the point? Nothing. There are tonnes of reviews out there. Read them.

I'll give you a brief summary --

Operating System Principles - Apple is a software company. They have made great software in the past and iOS is at the peak of it. Not Mac OS X although its 10 times more mature, but iOS understands better what people want, how people want and how it needs to schedule those things.

Everything is smarter. Whether when I'm in my recording studio on my guitar and cannot move and I need to toggle some settings, I open the remote app and it just works.
Whether I need to airplay my current riffs on the TV, it just works.
Whether I need to message someone, the voice control is mind blowing. It is way more precise and faster than WP7 and lets not talk about Android.
The notifications and their preferences are unbelievable. This is how notifications should have been done. Just use them for a day and you'll love them.
All photo editing is now done on the iPhone. I don't need my iMac for that. It's only used for software-development and ProTools.
The applications are just so refreshing. Applications on Android are UGLY. Even if 1 or two look good(which they don't), they miss out on features, functionality and the ease of usability? You need the best example? Browser on Android. It sucks. It sucked on HTC desire. It sucked on Nexus S with Android 2.3.
The applications on iOS provide great choice and are simply beautiful. Look at Chattime or Verbs or Twitter or Facebook or Reeder or TuneIn Radio or Guitar Machine or Spotify or Light. All breath design and functionality. Nothing like that is there on Android and WP7.

I agree Android has widgets which are useful sometimes but even for my brother who liked them at first hates them now due to his 4 hour battery life on HTC Wildfire.

Whatever, to each its own. iOS is a little power house and as much as people think its a grid of icons, its the best thing for probably anyone who wishes to spend £500 or more on a mobile device.

I cannot be more biased if that's how it sounds but trust me, iOS has moved me a lot in the past 7 days. I used to see a lot of people raving about experience and what not and guess what it's true.

Use it for a week and you'll know it. No lies.

Everything I have read suggests that the notification system on Android has been better than iOS since day one and still is today. iOS just got tabbed browsing. What didn't you like about the Android browser?

I have always been under the impression that Apple is primarily a hardware company that integrates their software and hardware together to make a functional, easy to use product.

Photo editing on the iPhone? Please. I have never used Android for more than 5 minutes playing around with a phone or tablet. It is not as intuitive as iOS, that's for sure. My main interest was your analysis of productivity differences between the two.

 

[krzyglue]

I love how people always equate every other brand other then Apple to be piles of junk. Comments like that are why I'm embarrassed and literally hide the fact I use products.

At least this guy is more modest. Usually it's BMW's or Mercedes' that are the equivalent to Apple... I've even seen someone say Ferrari was...

 

[gorgeousninja]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

Keep in mind Apple is sitting on a huge pile of cash plus marketable securities... that would make any "crushing" hard to do.

Note that Apple's cash would immediately belong to the company that buys Apple - in effect an $80B "discount" on the apparent purchase price.

Considering the market value of Apple plus its huge cash reserves, Apple could purchase countries if it so desired.. name me one company that could afford to try and take it over?

 

[skinned66]

Congratulations to Samsung. I'm not a shareholder of either company, and I don't buy products based on who's the #1 manufacturer on the planet; this is just another piece of trivia for me personally - like it was when it was Apple not too long ago.

 

[SVegard]

I asked this in another post some days ago...but I try again here.

I'm just...tired of iOS. Like in want to try something else this time instead of getting a 4S.

The soundquality is important to me. So is there any phones or players out there better sounding than det iPhone/Pods? My iPhone does not sound bad, but if there is anything better out there...

I want a hardware keyboard on my phone as well...so the best option I see now is to get a simple phone and a iPod Classic.

There is also possible to buy hardware keyboards for 4/4S...if someone in here wants both.

 

[Burger Thing]

I asked this in another post some days ago...but I try again here.

I'm just...tired of iOS. Like in want to try something else this time instead of getting a 4S.

The soundquality is important to me. So is there any phones or players out there better sounding than det iPhone/Pods? My iPhone does not sound bad, but if there is anything better out there...

I want a hardware keyboard on my phone as well...so the best option I see now is to get a simple phone and a iPod Classic.

There is also possible to buy hardware keyboards for 4/4S...if someone in here wants both.

Maybe have a look at Sony's offerings. Iphone defintely sounds better than the Galaxys (Samsung sucks in that regard) and the HTCs IMHO.

Cowon players are said to have a good sound quality, too.

 

[AaronEdwards]

You mean low end like the iPhone 3GS that doesn't run anywhere near as crappy. And that's with the latest OS.

Why is it not a negative that many Android phones are offered for sale that can't run Android well? The Wildfire S was released 5 months ago!

If the 3GS is a low end phone, why does it still cost, with contract, at least 93% of a 4 with the same contract?

The 3GS isn't a low end, low cost phone. It's a phone marketed towards people unable to grasp the total cost of a purchase when there's a contract with a monthly billing involved.

 

[Benguitar]

Really? Tell us - where do you see these people. How often do you travel outside of your city. State? Country?

Silly comment.

Orlando, Nashville, Los Angeles, Los Vegas, Minneapolis, Memphis.

Those within the past 3 weeks.

And even further back,

Milwaukee, New Jersey, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Little Rock, Miami.

I travel frequently, As I said before, I see more iPhones than I see anything else out there.

I see these people at airports, in shopping malls, in restaurants and frankly. Just about everywhere.

I apologize, But I don't see as many Motorola RAZRs and Blackberries anymore.

Apples and Oranges. You're just being contrary because I posted that. Whatever...

Ultimately - to me - I don't really care who sells more. I used what's best for me. And I encourage everyone to do the same. Whether that's Apple, Samsung, Nokia, whatever. The only right tech is the one that works for you. Everything else is just a pissing contest.

I do agree with you here however,

No where do I say or believe iOS or anything Apple does is the best on the market.

For some people it's the best, and for some people it isn't. Like you said, The only right tech is the one that works for you.

 

[Ultimedia]

Well, Samsung has a gazillion models on the market most of them sold for lower prices to a different public.

I think the comparison doesn't make sense, Apple still only sells one phone (I know there are different models but to most people an iPhone is an iPhone).

 

[Dcuellar]

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I don't know if I'll get a response this late but I thought I'd add something. Ever wonder why you walk into a cell phone shop and they pitch everything to you except the iPhone?

The salesmen don't get much in the way of commission from selling an iPhone. They never have. Perhaps Apple feels they shouldn't have to because the product sells itself, but there are many of those who come in asking for an iPhone and walk out with a Samsung or Atrix. People who have seen the ads and praises of an iPhone and are convinced by the salesman that the product does not live up to the hype.

I will say this though, those who walk in looking for an iPhone having already bought one in the past are rarely convinced.

Having said that, if Apple sold as many models as Samsung has and also gave as much in the way of commission then this would be a completely different story. Personally, I prefer Apple invest that money on the product itself instead of commission. It's the reason why we see their competition with cheaper looking products utilizing plastic.

 

[Oletros]

wow. I never said anything like that.

Do you have any proof that they all were sold to retail customers?

Don't really know how to make it any clearer for you.

Well, if quarter after quarter the number of smartphones shipped grows it's reasonably think that they are selling almost all of them

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I don't know if I'll get a response this late but I thought I'd add something. Ever wonder why you walk into a cell phone shop and they pitch everything to you except the iPhone?

The salesmen don't get much in the way of commission from selling an iPhone. They never have. Perhaps Apple feels they shouldn't have to because the product sells itself, but there are many of those who come in asking for an iPhone and walk out with a Samsung or Atrix. People who have seen the ads and praises of an iPhone and are convinced by the salesman that the product does not live up to the hype.

I will say this though, those who walk in looking for an iPhone having already bought one in the past are rarely convinced.

Having said that, if Apple sold as many models as Samsung has and also gave as much in the way of commission then this would be a completely different story. Personally, I prefer Apple invest that money on the product itself instead of commission. It's the reason why we see their competition with cheaper looking products utilizing plastic.

And you know that Samsung give so much comission exactly how?

Anything to back this?

 

[KnightWRX]

I wonder how much larger Samsungs sales volume would be if Apple had not interfered and prevented Samsung from selling in certain markets. Like most "news" I doubt we have the real truth behind Apples claims. Without that, everything else is meaningless.

There was no injunction granted against Smartphones at all. One wonders how big their sales would have been if their Flagship GS2 was available in the United States during Q3 though.

 

[Dcuellar]

Well, if quarter after quarter the number of smartphones shipped grows it's reasonably think that they are selling almost all of them

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And you know that Samsung give so much comission exactly how?

Anything to back this?

Yes, I work at an AT&T store.

I hate having to lie to customers, so I don't. I just don't tell them everything. I don't tell them I have an iPhone 4S in my pocket. I don't tell them about the two ecosystems, or the camera quality, or battery life, or Siri. I sell the androids based on benefits they can offer. I never compare the two models, but I always push for an android model.

To be fair, Android is not a bad OS, I just don't feel they can offer customers what iOS offers. Because Apple manufactures it's own phones, their OS is always going to work best on it because it is coded with very few iPhone models in mind.

Look at the attached image as an example. If I buy into an ecosystem which one do you think it would be?