The IDC company from the USA has published a report in which it lists top producers of smartphones globally. Apple occupies the 2nd position behind those from Nokia, but only 5.5 million smartphones separate the 2 companies. Nokia lost 15% of its market share last year, a percentage shared equally by Apple, Samsung, HTC and the other companies. Apple, on the other hand, increased its market share by exactly 3 percent, but delivered 10 million more smartphones than in the same period last year.
Apple reached a new record shipment volume in a single quarter, and inched closer to market leader Nokia with fewer than six million units separating the two companies. The company posted market-beating year-over-year growth and recorded triple-digit growth in two key markets: the United States, with the release of its CDMA-enabled iPhone, and Greater China. Additionally, the company enlisted South Korean Telecom and Saudi Telecom as carrier providers of the iPhone.
Smartphone sales increased by 80% compared to the same period last year, but the big winners are Samsung and HTC, which registered an increase of 350 and 230%, respectively. The 2 companies ended up delivering 10.8 and 8.9 million smartphones, respectively, compared to only 2.4 and 2.7 million smartphones delivered in the same period last year. If things continue like this, then Apple should overtake Nokia sometime in Q3 of 2011 and occupy the first place in the list of smartphone sellers. Samsung could surpass RIM and occupy the 3rd position and I believe that the Samsung Galaxy S II will record very high sales that will propel the company to that position.
For Apple, the launch of the iPhone 4 CDMA was very important because it gave the company an opening to a market where there are many potential customers but there is no iPhone. It is estimated that around 2 million iPhone 4 CDMA terminals were sold from February until now, an important figure that will motivate Apple to launch the terminal to other CDMA operators in other countries around the world.
