Samsung was the top handset manufacturer in the U.S. market in the fourth quarter of 2011, with 25.4 percent market share. Google Android continued to grow its share in the smart phone operating system market, accounting for 48.6 percent of user devices.
Apple undoubtedly will be found to have made the most profit, though. That has been true for some time.
Between them, Apple and Samsung earned fully 81 percent of all profits in the mobile handset business, on a global basis.
The number of U.S. smart phone subscribers surpassed the 100-million mark in January 2012, up 13 percent since October to 101.3 million subscribers, according to comScore.
Google Android ranked as the top smart phone platform with 48.6 percent market share (up 2.3 percentage points) followed by Apple with 29.5 percent market share (up 1.4 percentage points). RIM ranked third with 15.2 percent share, followed by Microsoft (4.4 percent) and Symbian (1.5 percent).
Globally, Apple and Samsung have, over the last 12 months, surged to the top of the charts in terms of smart phone sales volume. In the past, the “smart phone” category has not been significant, as all devices were feature phones or basic phones.
As the market begins to shift to a smart phone buyer pattern, differences in firm strategy and execution have lead to a rapid change in market leadership.
In the past, Nokia has been the global share leader, but Nokia has not been able to translate that prior success into smart phone success, where Apple has changed the game and Samsung apparently has been able to keep pace.
Apple overtook Samsung to become the world’s largest smart phone vendor by volume with 24 percent market share. Apple’s global smart phone shipments surged 128 percent annually to 37.0 million units, as distribution of the iPhone family expanded across numerous countries, dozens of operators and multiple price points.”
Apple took the top spot for share on a quarterly basis, but Samsung became the market leader in annual terms for the first time with 20 percent global share during 2011. With global smartphone shipments nearing half a billion units in 2011, Samsung is now well positioned alongside Apple in a two-horse race at the forefront of one of the world’s largest and most valuable consumer electronics markets, Strategy Analytics says.
In contrast, Nokia’s smart phone market share was cut in half from 2011 to 2011, dropping from 33 percent in 2010 to 16 percent in 2011.
That is one reason there has been so much focus on the Nokia partnership with Microsoft, as many would argue the Windows Mobile operating system represents the best shot Nokia will have to avoid collapse.
The other observation of note would be that profitability might now be emerging as the key differentiator, even though design and consumer demand clearly are driving the market overall.
Samsung’s most-recent quarterly earnings also set records. Samsung Electronics Co declared $4.7 billion in quarterly operating profit. jumping 76 percent year over year.
| Top Mobile OEMs 3 Month Avg. Ending Jan. 2012 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending Oct. 2011 Total U.S. Mobile Subscribers (Smartphone & Non-Smartphone) Ages 13+ Source: comScore MobiLens | |||
| Share (%) of Mobile Subscribers | |||
| Oct-11 | Jan-12 | Point Change | |
| Total Mobile Subscribers | 100.0% | 100.0% | N/A |
| Samsung | 25.5% | 25.4% | -0.1 |
| LG | 20.6% | 19.7% | -0.9 |
| Motorola | 13.6% | 13.2% | -0.4 |
| Apple | 10.8% | 12.8% | 2.0 |
| RIM | 6.6% | 6.6% | 0.0 |
| Top Smartphone Platforms 3 Month Avg. Ending Jan. 2012 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending Oct. 2011 Total U.S. Smartphone Subscribers Ages 13+ Source: comScore MobiLens | |||
| Share (%) of Smartphone Subscribers | |||
| Oct-11 | Jan-12 | Point Change | |
| Total Smartphone Subscribers | 100.0% | 100.0% | N/A |
| 46.3% | 48.6% | 2.3 | |
| Apple | 28.1% | 29.5% | 1.4 |
| RIM | 17.2% | 15.2% | -2.0 |
| Microsoft | 5.4% | 4.4% | -1.0 |
| Symbian | 1.6% | 1.5% | -0.1 |
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