Samsung Widens Gap Over Apple in Worldwide Smartphone Market

[Popeye206]

Love Apple products but worried about the stock. Lately I can see more and more people that use to be iPad users switch to Surface Pro. On my last meeting at university surface outnumbered iPads 3:1. Those people don't care about faction and glamour. They want the job done the most quick and efficient way and apparently surface is a way to go these days. Apple please do something. Don't be blackberry and stay behind. Hybrids and increased functionality is the way to go.

Hummm.... I have yet to see one in the wild. Just did a trip last weekend and took note of people's smart phones, computers and tablets.... I know... lame, but something to do while you're waiting around for planes and stuff... anyway... 8 out of 10 phones were iPhones. 8 out of 10 tablets were iPads and probably 50% of the laptops I saw were Apple. I'd say for the most part, Apple is still doing pretty well overall.

I don't think the hybrids will be a long-term product. Too much compromise one way or the other. I guess we'll see how things pan out, but I still believe you're better off with one or the other depending on what you want to do.

 

[Ryth]

In fact when I see an iPhone user, I imagine someone who is older and not teach savy, like a grandma or a teenager. Or some poor guy who drives a beat up Toyota Corolla and owns a pink iPhone 6S. I associate galaxy S6 with a guy in a suite that screams "style" and "sophistication"

When I see an Samsung user, I imagine someone who just takes what the carrier offers for free or can't/won't pay for an iPhone upfront cost (that is going to change anyway. All carriers are going to require soon people to buy their phones upfront). Also Samsungs are associated with mostly insecure IT people who want try to have a superiority complex saying they can do more with their phone (usually 10 steps more to do something but hey dammit they can hack their phone).

 

[samcraig]

Once again, the title of an article belies its true content. Apple apparently had a stellar 2015 -> significant exceeding 2014 in every metric (earning almost $35 BILLION more by calendar year, and well over $50 billion more by fiscal year, while profits increased by over $10 billion!), and narrowing the gap with Samsung in market share by another 50% (from just under 10% to just over 6% gap). The "gloom and doom" of this article is about nothing but the fact that last XMAS, Apple tied Samsung in units for that season, while in this XMAS, Samsung beat Apple again. But the gap isn't widening, it's dropping.

I don't see doom and gloom here. Just a reporting on some metrics. I think the doom and gloom is mostly from people inside the thread that either feel threatened or something else.
[doublepost=1454013678][/doublepost]

When I see an Samsung user, I imagine someone who just takes what the carrier offers for free or can't/won't pay for an iPhone upfront cost (that is going to change anyway. All carriers are going to require soon people to buy their phones upfront). Also Samsungs are associated with mostly insecure IT people who want try to have a superiority complex saying they can do more with their phone (usually 10 steps more to do something but hey dammit they can hack their phone).

If nothing else, one of Android's advantages I have found is sharing content. It's just easier with Android given the lack of sandboxing.

 

[Soni Sanjay]

It is sad to see many apologists defending Apple no matter what.
Be a supporter, not a fanboy.
Point is that is disappointing, I hope they can make a killer iPhone 7 to close the gap.

 

[69Mustang]

This is lame.

The average selling price of iPhones is about $700
http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/01/26/rising-iphone-asp-in-q1-hints-at-healthy-iphone-6s-sales

The average selling price of a Samsung phone is less than $200
http://www.reuters.com/article/samsung-elec-results-q-idUSS6N0V702H20150429



The bulk of the units Samsung sells are $100 phones that are sold in emerging markets like China, Africa, South America, and Eastern Europe.

Lame? It's just a report showing estimated shipments and market share. What would make it not lame?

/already knows response

Why would that make it not lame?

 

[warrior2000]

This is what a fanboy would think, yes. Apple's distributors asked them to stop making/providing them with new 6S models for 3 months because they aren't selling. Apple is definitely threatened. And as a consumer, Samsungs Edge and Note lines are far more interesting than Apple's lame designs.

wrong. Its a FACT that Samsung sells a ton of cheap sub $150 phones

The average selling price of iPhones is about $700
http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/01/26/rising-iphone-asp-in-q1-hints-at-healthy-iphone-6s-sales

The average selling price of a Samsung phone is less than $200
http://www.reuters.com/article/samsung-elec-results-q-idUSS6N0V702H20150429

iPhone is blowing the doors off on Samsung Edge/Note lines.

From Oct-Dec2015 Apple sold 75 million iPhones. That's more than the Samsung Edge/Note sold the ENTIRE 2015. Apple is estimating they will sell another 50 million high end phones from Jan-March.

 

[Zwhaler]

Disappointing. As much as a blatant copycat firm they are, I do not believe they should be enjoying the success they have been experiencing.

I hate it when cheaters win.

Let's be real, they copy each other. Samsung had the Plus moniker before Apple, as well as the 5.5" phablet. I do agree Samsung copies Apple more than the other way around, but you can't treat apple as exalted when they literally copied Xerox Parc back in the day with the desktop GUI. Samsung innovates too, with curved displays, flexible displays, not to mention many of the parts inside of a iPhone that Apple uses. I do find it funny how Samsung lifts things from Apple blatantly, I'm just saying Apple isn't exempt from this practice historically speaking, although many choose not to see it and act like Apple invented the Plus, etc when that's false. How about Apple copying wireless charging, IP67... fanboys will argue that it doesn't count as copying or cheating since these are wider industry innovations, but really that is a double standard.

 

[warrior2000]

Lame? It's just a report showing estimated shipments and market share. What would make it not lame?

/already knows response

Why would that make it not lame?

Its lame because you are not comparing Apples with Apples.

Apple does not sell $100 and $200 phones that make up the bulk of Samsung's unit sales.

The comparison should be iPhone vs GalaxyS/Note sales.

 

[LaraCroft835]

That number will go up even higher this year once Apple removes the headphone jack from the iPhone 7.

enjoy your Samsung

 

[warrior2000]

It is sad to see many apologists defending Apple no matter what.
Be a supporter, not a fanboy.
Point is that is disappointing, I hope they can make a killer iPhone 7 to close the gap.

There is nothing to apologize.

Apple is absolutely DOMINATING the high end smart phone market. Which by the way is the only segment Apple sells phones in. Apple could care less about how many $100 and $200 phones Samsung sells. Those phones don't make Samsung a single cent of profit nor do they enhance the brand name.

From Oct-Dec2015 Apple sold more iPhones than Samsung sold GalaxyS/Note phones in the ENTIRE 2015.

 

[prowlmedia]

What difference does that make? Someone is paying for the phones, either the consumer or the carrier. The numbers are the same.
[doublepost=1454001863][/doublepost]
Yes, your precious iPhone is the Rolls Royce of phones. Just as a RR is a ripoff in cars...

Checked the prices of iPhones vs. Samsung's leading phones lately? About the same.

Well it was more a comment on the fact that Samsung make dozens of phones apple make 2 possibly 3.

Never heard RR called a ripoff. But yes I agree my iPhone is the RR of phones. Very astute of you.

 

[Kroo]

If Samsung were proud of their numbers why then don't they report their units sold figures or units activated figures? We all know why but it doesn't grab headlines like this and the so called "journalists" continue to post this garbage. The fact that Samsung are losing billions in the smartphone market should point to the real facts. Reporting shipments is like counting imaginary sheep and wondering where all the wool is. How about someone report on why Samsung refuse to post sales figures for a change? Maybe they fear being blackballed by the tech tyrant like others have previously.

 

[samcraig]

wrong. Its a FACT that Samsung sells a ton of cheap sub $150 phones

The average selling price of iPhones is about $700
http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/01/26/rising-iphone-asp-in-q1-hints-at-healthy-iphone-6s-sales

The average selling price of a Samsung phone is less than $200
http://www.reuters.com/article/samsung-elec-results-q-idUSS6N0V702H20150429

iPhone is blowing the doors off on Samsung Edge/Note lines.

From Oct-Dec2015 Apple sold 75 million iPhones. That's more than the Samsung Edge/Note sold the ENTIRE 2015. Apple is estimating they will sell another 50 million high end phones from Jan-March.

And I must ask - so what? You can start moving goalposts or talking about profit margins, etc. Doesn't change this report. At the end of the day ask yourself this question - Are you using the device that best suits your use case? If so - great. If not, consider buying something that does. Nothing else really matters. Samsung isn't going anywhere. Apple isn't going anywhere. Both have plenty to offer consumers.

 

[prowlmedia]

I thought MR banned car analogies because we have proven we don't know how to do them correctly. Apple sells commodity product just like Ford. Rolls Royce sells boutique, limited quantity product more akin to Vertu.

Please no more car analogies. For the love of Jeebus, stop.

Wasn't making any analogy. Just thought you'd all like to know something equally as pointless.

 

[samcraig]

Well it was more a comment on the fact that Samsung make dozens of phones apple make 2 possibly 3.

Never heard RR called a ripoff. But yes I agree my iPhone is the RR of phones. Very astute of you.

Apple makes an iPhone 5s, 6, 6 plus, 6s and 6s plus. - that's 5. Certainly less than Samsung. But they've definitely upped their model #s..

 

[AppleMark]

Sometime in the not too distant future, things will change again when Samsung Electronics debuts a real folding phone. But not for long, since Samsung Display has said they'll sell such displays to anyone.

I agree. I saw a 'mock-up' of this last year. As far as I saw it was more of a bend than a fold so far? How could you guarantee uniformity of closure for example with a bend [no interfaced hinge]?

You would also hope that they would wait a year on supplying to third parties if they were serious about competing, but I suppose that will not happen.

 

[prowlmedia]

That would be Hyundai sold more cars than ford

Can't work out why everyone compares Apple products to German car manufactures .... The Germans now producing thier premium cars in China ?

Have some pride in the American car industry



No iPhone ever produced will rival a rolls Royce product , even if Tim himself hand builds it .... Let alone slapped together in China.

There is only one good US manufacturer - tesla and even they have no idea how to do interiors.

 

[MH01]

There is only one good US manufacturer - tesla and even they have no idea how to do interiors.

yes, that was a better substitute for ford!

 

[Hagrid]

I have seen this trend in my area too. Most people are buying S6 because iPhones are way too common. Yes it's about being different, that's how Apple gained their loyal customers too, remember "Think Different" campaign?

In fact when I see an iPhone user, I imagine someone who is older and not teach savy, like a grandma or a teenager. Or some poor guy who drives a beat up Toyota Corolla and owns a pink iPhone 6S. I associate galaxy S6 with a guy in a suite that screams "style" and "sophistication"

I just threw up in my mouth

 

[igorsky]

By "adapt" do you mean "spend more money" on unnecessary Apple proprietary headphones, adapters or Bluetooth headphones that don't sound as good as a wired connection?

You don't have to spend anything. I'm an iPhone user since the 3GS and I've never been forced to spend money on any Apple products. But when everyone reluctantly starts admitting that this was a genius move, all the other OEMs will follow along and this will become a moot point. The headphone jack is an old technology, and supporting old stuff "just because" is not high on Apple's priority list.

 

[samcraig]

Its lame because you are not comparing Apples with Apples.

Apple does not sell $100 and $200 phones that make up the bulk of Samsung's unit sales.

The comparison should be iPhone vs GalaxyS/Note sales.

Feel free to conduct your own research and report back. That's not what this report was about. Just because you don't like the results or the method doesn't make it invalid.

If Samsung were proud of their numbers why then don't they report their units sold figures or units activated figures?

Conversely - if Apple were proud of their numbers - why would they lump a few of their products into "other" and not break them out?

Apple and Samsung both present their #s in the most positive light.

 

[zone23]

I have seen this trend in my area too. Most people are buying S6 because iPhones are way too common. Yes it's about being different, that's how Apple gained their loyal customers too, remember "Think Different" campaign?

In fact when I see an iPhone user, I imagine someone who is older and not teach savy, like a grandma or a teenager. Or some poor guy who drives a beat up Toyota Corolla and owns a pink iPhone 6S. I associate galaxy S6 with a guy in a suite that screams "style" and "sophistication"

How does a Android Phone make you more tech savvy? Is it because it has a file system or because it has real widgets? Both iOS and Android are designed to do what an OS is supposed to do, let the software communicate with the hardware. Not sure how one denotes tech savviness by the type of phone they have. To add to that the IT professionals I know have iPhones because they don't have time to mess around with Android. BTW its getting harder and harder to root android.

 

[Kroo]

Let's compare sales figures then shall we?

 

[igorsky]

Ironically, Apple actually copied the "Copy and Paste" implementation from Google/Samsung. Remember original iPhone didn't have Copy/Paste ?

Even more ironic...Google/Samsung went on to copy Apple's implementation of copy/paste. It's almost as though they thought their own implementation sucked. Weird ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[TechZeke]

It is sad to see many apologists defending Apple no matter what.
Be a supporter, not a fanboy.
Point is that is disappointing, I hope they can make a killer iPhone 7 to close the gap.

Both sides of this thread have been idiotic. The people going around insulting people who use iPhones and making ignorant posts are just as bad as the Apple apologists.

Its too bad we simply can't just use the devices we want to use and respect everyone else's preferences. All consumers need the competition Apple, Samsung, and the other manufacturers provide.