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Samsung Widens Gap Over Apple in Worldwide Smartphone Market
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If you're trying to call a whole forum out on hypocrisy, it doesn't work... If you can find a previous quote by Swift saying device count matters then you have something to talk about-- otherwise you're just adding to the white noise of over generalization that is making informed discussion near impossible.
That number will go up even higher once Apple moves the headphone jack from the top to the bottom on the iPhone 5.
Potentially but I doubt it. When the 30 Pin adapter was replaced by the lightning port there were no Pitchforks and torches.
[doublepost=1454030368][/doublepost]I'd really like to know about the 40 something percent labelled as "others".....who are they???
The latest numbers from market research firm Strategy Analytics reveal that Samsung increased its lead over Apple as the world's largest smartphone maker, after shipping 81.3 million smartphones in the fourth quarter of the 2015 calendar year. Apple announced earlier this week that it sold a record 74.8 million iPhones during the same three-month period encompassing the busy holiday shopping season.
Global smartphone shipments grew 12 percent annually from 1.28 billion in 2014 to a record 1.44 billion in 2015, according to the data. Samsung and Apple contributed 317.2 million and 192.7 million smartphone sales respectively to that worldwide total, while Huawei, Lenovo-Motorola, and Xiaomi rounded off the top five smartphone makers. All other vendors collectively shipped 637.5 million smartphones in 2015.
Samsung led the fourth quarter with 20.1 percent market share, a slight increase over its 19.6 percent market share in the year-ago quarter. Conversely, Apple's fourth quarter market share was 18.5 percent, a slight decline from its 19.6 percent share in the fourth quarter of 2014. Huawei, Lenovo-Motorola and Xiaomi had market shares of 8.1 percent, 5 percent and 4.8 percent respectively.
In the year-ago quarter, Apple matched Samsung's 74.5 million smartphones shipped on the strength of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, but its South Korean rival has since pulled ahead again. The comparison is largely unbalanced, however, as Samsung sells dozens of different smartphone models worldwide, while Apple currently only sells the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, and iPhone 5s.
Apple expects iPhone sales will likely decline in the March quarter, marking the first year-over-year decline since the smartphone was released over eight years ago. The decline will be realized if Apple sells fewer than 61.2 million iPhones this quarter, ending in late March. iPhone growth in the just-announced first fiscal quarter of 2016 was the slowest since the smartphone's introduction in 2007.
Strategy Analytics has also published smartphone data for the Chinese market, where Apple trails closely behind Xiaomi and Huawei.
Article Link: Samsung Widens Gap Over Apple in Worldwide Smartphone Market
1) Yes, if the company stays solvent and in business (i.e healthy), and the larger gross margin the more the company can divert to customer service. Hard to provide good customer service when you make $0.50 per handset...
Yes, ideally profits are great when they are rolled back down into the company to improve services. This is what the ideal of trickle down is supposed to be. If a company profits, everyone should profit. I'm not saying equally, I'm not that socialist, but if you're making so much profit that you can barely spend it on primary costs, why does Apple still pay for cheap labour? Why are the majority not benefitting financially for the success? Remember, costs are pre-profit. This profit is what's left when all costs are already paid for. Will next years budget inflate to use additional profit by meaningful amount? These are just questions, I can't answer them. But at what point do you hit before its profit purely for the sake of it, and isn't benefitting the customer, the employees, or the economies that you participate in.
2) Far more likely if the company remains solvent, ask any person who were/are really baked into BBM how they feel right now.
Been using bbm for years. It's actually a really good product.
3) More subjective, as value is a judgment call. Remember, that for the most part the top-of-the line Samsung and iPhones are about the same price. Are Samsung phones significantly better, especially in considering their lower margin?
Yes, exactly, subjective. I don't hate on users of iPhones and devices at all. If the users perceived value is worth cost of entry, they have every right to purchase. I do not, nor will not judge someone for their own subjective views on subjective items.
What exactly do you get for Samsung's s6's lower margin?
Not going to defend Samsung. Lower margin itself isn't their problem, and just because I have issues with Apple inc. and their ethics don't mean I don't have issues with Samsung and some of their business problems. I own a s6 myself because I believe that it fits my own subjective uses and preferences better. Their profit is meaningless if they can offer me the levels of support I need (they can't, and I likely won't buy another Samsung myself, even if I think the phone is really nice)
The point I'm trying to make is that the declaration of profits as some be all end all factor that instantly makes an iPhone and Apple the best, isn't true. Neither are market share, neither is volume. These are all just little factoids that make up large pictures. Nothing is in a vacuum. So people shouting about profits while talking volume indicates lack of business understanding, and that ultimately while they are competing companies, this isn't a zero sum game with only one winner and everyone else loses.
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Posting responses inline, hope you don't mind. Just easier on an iPad
HTC, LG, Sony, Microsoft and Blackberry are in there somewhere.
But there are over 100 additional companies we've never even heard of
The day that Apple posted a higher marketshare is the day I am worried about the company future, its product quality and its customer service. So I disagree with your opinion. I think Apple price its product fairly, what you buy is not a mere hardware, but a complete package: high quality build, thoughtful design, free OS, ecosystems, etc.
Not picking fights: this is just legit convo,
But these items that you say warrant the price, are whats known as "intangibles". none of these things have direct costs / value associated with them. Therefore, there value to the end user is entirely subjective. Someone is completely free to conclude that the build quality, design, OS and ecosystem are not worth the additional margins spent, and for those same things, there are other devices, which are cheaper that fit what they want, they are free to believe that an iPhone is an overpriced device.
If at the end of the day (Hypothetical to prove point), an iphone's fixed costs (including R&D and other business entity costs, not just hardware) is only $300, and apple charges $650, and I don't think those intangibles are worth $350's extra? am I wrong for believing it's overpriced? These are all subjective things.
(Please note his is meant as hypothetical).
I guess you just purposely forgot Apple.also ship their product to partner store, authorized retail store and carrier store. Apple has no way of tracking those number.
Also you also assuimg that Samsung can shipping as much unit Samsung wants to its retail channel. Let me ask you, if Samsung products did not ended up into customers hand, why would retail channel countine accepting Samsung's shippment? Retail store aren't just going to store all these unsold inventory forever? And if one thing does not sell well, retail store won't accept shippment from Sumsung anymore or not as much as before.
Yes, there is a gap, but not as big as you guys discrbie.
Everyone knows Android phones get sent to a landfill in New Mexico with all those E.T. cartridges
Everyone knows Android phones get sent to a landfill in New Mexico with all those E.T. cartridges
LOL... Good one...
The whole debate is so pointless though... Why do people care about how many iPhone sold and get pissed about Samsung selling more phone than Apple? I mean Apple selling 70 million iPhone in one quarter and that is good for Apple. But does that has anuthing to do with me? It is not I getting any dime from Apple.
When Apple announce record breaking revenue, all am thinking is their inseanlunhigh margin...but other than that I find no point to get excited or mad about how many iPhone or Galaxy S phone sold each quarter... I just going to buy the phone I like ( not iPhone)
This is why profit is a more important metric than unit count. Profit is how you measure the value of intangibles. You let people subjectively measure the value of subjective things, and make a buy/no buy decision. Your vote is one of millions in the market. It's a little binary price signal that says "you must be at least this useful to open my wallet".
If Apple raises the price, presumably fewer people will vote buy, but they'll spend more each. If Apple lowers the price, presumably more people will buy but many would have been willing to pay more for the same thing. If lowering or raising the price causes a reduction in profits, then Apple has found the optimal price-point and has priced the product correctly in the market.
So, while thinking that a product is too expensive for you personally to justify purchasing is not "wrong" as it is a personal opinion, it is only one vote and generalizing that to say that the product is overpriced in the market is not supportable by your individual opinion.
It also isn't supportable by any other data that I've seen.
Good post.
It's funny when people say anything about the iPhone being "overpriced" while Apple happens to be #2 on the list in this article.
Usually things that are "overpriced" won't be anywhere near to top of the list... and they shouldn't be selling more than DOUBLE their next competitor, right?
You have to remember, that when people make subjective comments, a lot of the time they don't include "in my opinion" because it is implied, because they made a subjective opinion
But you are right. I've had the same arguments with music.
"THAT MUSIC IS ****". Why? because you don't like it? what if it's my favourite? does that mean i should hate it cause you dont like it? blanket statements like that, are just asanine. And yes, I see it way too often. And utlimately comes down to the old "stop liking what I don't like"
Although Dubstep is ****
(Ducks)
This anti-Apple sentiment is a growing trend. Those who are self confident and not insecure, don't need to be seen with an iPhone or Apple Watch. They don't care what others think and they certainly don't want to be paying a premium when they can have an excellent Android phone and save money. Just like the people who don't need to spend the huge sum of money for a German luxury car.
For those true smartphone enthusiasts, they're noticing a new emerging segment of the market rapidly becoming populated with terrific mid price smartphones from OPO, MOTO, ASUS, Lenovo, Huawei, ZTE, Kyocera, BLU and more. These perform very well and only cost $100 to $300. Readily available through many sources like Amazon, they're unlocked and ready you go. At the college campus level these reasonably priced phones are rapidly catching on.
It's a smart dynamic market, the competition isn't standing still. There's a lot more on the way.
Apples sales numbers have nothing to do with activations. They don't care if you never activate it. It's still counted as a sale.
Besides the ~20% of sales which really are direct to end users (at Apple stores), the majority (80%) of what Apple reports are simply sales to carriers and other retailers... sales which are counted when an iPhone ships to the retailer.
Often the number which Apple puts topmost in its news releases is millions more than actual end user sales. Doesn't matter. They're still sales, because the retailer has paid to get them into their inventory.
Then really expensive phone makers like Vertu stomp everyone
As for bragging about profits, that's like bragging that one's favorite gasoline brand makes larger profits. Doesn't make sense as a consumer to brag that they paid a lot more than was really necessary. Especially in Apple's case, where most of the profit is just sitting in overseas banks.
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With how ridiculously cheap NAND storage is these days, the fact that Apple is literally selling a 16GB 'premium' smartphone in the year 2016 is absolutely preposterous. Seriously, this is a FIFTH year running, and NAND flash has just gotten cheaper and cheaper. The rest of the industry has moved on but somehow Apple just can't quite manage to leave 2011.
It would be somewhat less disgusting if they upgraded iCloud storage levels...
...but they haven't increased it at all since 2011 when it was released! I Cloud is still stuck at 5GB for the free tier, which is astonishingly low these days. I truly believe Apple can make just as much (if not more money) WITHOUT completely ruining so many customers experiences. And before the obligatory comment that says 'some people don't need more than 16GB', that's absolutely true, but I used to work in customer service and you would be astonished at how many calls we got when people ran out of storage on their 16GB phone (and that was years ago).
Seriously, Apple deserves to get slaughtered in this market, I hope their sales plummet even worse than expected. I understand they are trying to keep their ASP (average sale price) high and force people to upgrade, but seriously, there are far smarter ways to do it. They could have given the base model a worse camera, or a lower resolution display, or anything. But no, apparently the MBA's in Apple HQ just aren't intelligent or creative enough to come up with such an idea.
That 4K camera is utterly useless on a 16GB device, you'll run out of storage in a matter of minutes (literally...minutes). Steve Jobs would never have sat idly by and watch this team of fools ruin what could be such an amazing company because they can't think of a better way to get people to upgrade past the base model.
It would be somewhat less disgusting if they upgraded iCloud storage levels...
...but they haven't increased it at all since 2011 when it was released! I Cloud is still stuck at 5GB for the free tier, which is astonishingly low these days. I truly believe Apple can make just as much (if not more money) WITHOUT completely ruining so many customers experiences. And before the obligatory comment that says 'some people don't need more than 16GB', that's absolutely true, but I used to work in customer service and you would be astonished at how many calls we got when people ran out of storage on their 16GB phone (and that was years ago).
Seriously, Apple deserves to get slaughtered in this market, I hope their sales plummet even worse than expected. I understand they are trying to keep their ASP (average sale price) high and force people to upgrade, but seriously, there are far smarter ways to do it. They could have given the base model a worse camera, or a lower resolution display, or anything. But no, apparently the MBA's in Apple HQ just aren't intelligent or creative enough to come up with such an idea.
That 4K camera is utterly useless on a 16GB device, you'll run out of storage in a matter of minutes (literally...minutes). Steve Jobs would never have sat idly by and watch this team of fools ruin what could be such an amazing company because they can't think of a better way to get people to upgrade past the base model.
Apple didn't have a record breaking quarter because consumers are shying away from their products. And Samsung has not really been doing well in the mobile market even though they sell boat loads of phones.This anti-Apple sentiment is a growing trend. Those who are self confident and not insecure, don't need to be seen with an iPhone or Apple Watch. They don't care what others think and they certainly don't want to be paying a premium when they can have an excellent Android phone and save money. Just like the people who don't need to spend the huge sum of money for a German luxury car.
For those true smartphone enthusiasts, they're noticing a new emerging segment of the market rapidly becoming populated with terrific mid price smartphones from OPO, MOTO, ASUS, Lenovo, Huawei, ZTE, Kyocera, BLU and more. These perform very well and only cost $100 to $300. Readily available through many sources like Amazon, they're unlocked and ready you go. At the college campus level these reasonably priced phones are rapidly catching on.
It's a smart dynamic market, the competition isn't standing still. There's a lot more on the way.
What about defective iPhones? I'm on my 4th defective 6+ in a year. Does that count as 4 shipped/sold?
It just needs to last me until the Samsung S7 ships in March.
Well said. Often time iOS users get looked at like they have no tech know how, when in reality some some are actually extremely tech savvy.
It's ironic that someone who carries a Touchwiz device calls iOS restricted and crippled...
I am sure that Samsung *as a group* makes good money on smartphones. Although it is often reported that Samsung Mobile makes low profits, Samsung Mobile buys displays, memory, camera modules, CPUs and chipsets etc from other part of Samsung, and the transfer prices will be profitable for all those units. Plus Samsung mobile doesn't make losses anyway.
Without a doubt, Samsung doesn't make as much money per phone as Apple. And neither does Kia make as much money per car as BMW. The magic of Apple is that it makes so much money per phone and sells so many phones: It is the best of BMW and Kia. But sooner or later, logic predicts that consumers won't pay so much if there is no added value. Apple has two added-values features: better phones, and lockin. However, "better phones" is not very clear anymore, although lockin is. Apple got a huge boost with the iPhone 6, smashing records,(and now suffers the headache from that one-time boost). And what was the defining innovation of the iPhone 6 and 6+? ... a big screen, long derided by Apple. Who thought of that first?