It’s been a little while since Google Android smartphones overtook iPhones in the market. But while more people buy phones with Google’s software than Apple’s, up until now there was no single company that sold more Android phones than Apple sold iPhones.
Now Samsung has reported that it shipped 27.8 million smartphones last quarter. According to the BBC, that’s 10 million more phones than Apple shipped during the same three month period.
To be fair, Samsung offers a number of different Android phones, while Apple was only selling the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 between July and September. The iPhone 4s hadn’t yet been released, and there were probably a lot of potential customers holding out for Apple’s new phone.
Still, the figures certainly help explain why Apple has been battling Samsung in the courts. Whether Samsung is actually copying ideas from Apple or not, the company’s products are clearing some of Apple’s biggest competition and it’s not surprising that Apple would take any steps available to try to slow Samsung’s growth in the smartphone and tablet space.
Nokia still sells more phones than any other company, but Apple and Samsung sell more smartphones than the Finnish company.
Brad, any news on The Bada OS by Samsung? Is it a failure?
Notice, Samsung claimed they “shipped” those phones, not “sold” them as Apple claims. There is a difference. How many were returned?
Also to note, there was a lot of people waiting on the new iPhone before they bit. I bet Apple comes back out on top, once again, despite the Galaxy Nexus launch.
Of course just like all the analysts that drove down the stock last week – you are forgetting the point that many put off buying the iphone due to the delayed release of the newest model. The 4s has flown off the shelves since then.Â
So basically everyone is caught up thinking apple are declining when in fact they just delayed the launch of their latest phone from the usual cycle.Â
Still Samsung have done well the with the S2
Next quarter you’ll post that apple have regained their number 1 spot.
Nope… not ignoring that. In fact I think that’s the whole point of my 3rd paragraph.Â
Also — this has nothing to do with Apple declining. It’s more about Samsung gaining.Â
“To be fair, Samsung offers a number of different Android phones, while
Apple was only selling the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 between July and
September.”
This is probably why Samsung is selling more phones, by giving people a variety of different products. As opposed to Apple’s “one size fits all” approach to phones and tablets.
For example, I have a Samsung Intercept running on Virgin Mobile. No contract, $100 with monthly prepaid service and cheap replacement plans. It has a real slider keyboard, a decent camera, and a serviceable processor. It’s fat and ugly, easy to grip and can take insane amounts of abuse. Nobody is going to have any desire to steal it. For all I know, it doesn’t even play angry birds. The design would have made Steve Jobs hurl (which is the best part).
It’s not for everybody, but it’s perfect for me, and that’s the point. If you want a slim expensive high performance supermodel phone, Samsung has those too. Fragmentation isn’t a bug, it’s a feature. By offering a broad variety of different form factors and price points Android phones expand to fill every niche in the smartphone ecosystem.
In the same fashion it is likely that the broad variety of Android tablets will do the same, With a range of options from the $60 Aakash, the $200 Amazon Fire, and a fully tricked out Transformer gives everybody a tablet they can find useful.