Samsung Passes Apple in Smartphone Shipments According to New Report – Forbes
Samsung Passes Apple in Smartphone Shipments According to New Report – Forbes.
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According to a new report out from the research firm Strategy Analytics Samsung, maker of the Galaxy line of smartphones and tablets, has passed up Apple in smartphone shipments.
This is not to say that Samsung has actually sold more units than Apple – Samsung does not release its unit sales information – only that it has shipped more units to retailers. Still, one way or another this is yet another sign that the mobile wars are heating up.
Samsung’s smartphone shipments hit 28 million units for a total market share of 24% compared to Apple’s 15%. Nokia came in third at 14%.
The companies are still embroiled in a major patent battle which has been playing out in Australia and across the globe.
I doubt that Samsung poses a real threat to Apple’s core business, and even with the popularity of Samsung’s phones and tablets, Apple still remains king of the hill. Shipments do not equal sales, and Apple has been posting record units sold with the release of the iPhone 4S and its widely talked-about Siri voice recognition software.
Android, which powers most of Samsung’s phones, is still a second best option when it comes to mobile operating systems also, though that could certainly change in the future. Android Market now sells more apps than the iPhone. It’s only a matter of time before the much more open system out-innovates Apple.
Even then, however, it’s not likely that any one seller of Android-powered devices will surpass Apple any time soon. The iPhone and iPad are still unique products, and few companies have ever rivaled Apple’s brand loyalty.
At this point in both the patent wars and the mobile wars, it’s impossible to predict the future.
