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Samsung reclaims top smartphone maker title from Apple

Strategy Analytics has a new report out that estimates that Samsung has once again become the number one smartphone manufacturer by units shipped. Although Samsung doesn’t officially report unit numbers, the analytics firm is estimating 83 million smartphones sold worldwide for the company. IDC is also reporting similar numbers.

Apple, which does report the number of iPhones it shipped, sold 61 million iPhones in the last quarter. This is a new record for Apple (which became the #1 manufacturer during the previous quarter with the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus) but is clearly outstripped by Samsung’s (estimated) number by about 20 million units.

For the first time ever, Apple took the top spot over Samsung in the final three months of 2014. There is more to smartphone market success than shipments metrics of course. Apple is probably not that bothered that it ceded the accolade to Samsung for the time being. As shown by the chart, it is comfortably at the #2 spot by units sold and continues to dominate industry profits. The next highest vendor, Lenovo, shipped 18 million units.

Apple reported a record $13.6 billion in operating profit last quarter, largely due to rising iPhone sales. For comparison, Samsung reported $5.6 billion in operating profit on $44 billion in revenue.

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Comments

  1. Big difference here folks, it’s nice to make A LOT of phones and ship them, doesn’t mean as much if they aren’t actually PURCHASED.

    Shipped and bought are two different things, let’s make that abundantly clear.

    • Can someone enlighten me as to how this statement works?

      Most people world wide will pay for their phone monthly as part of their contract. I assume that providers like Vodafone etc purchase the phone off Apple, Samsung etc outright. They then pass on the cost of the phone (plus a little bit of the profit) on to the customer who pays for it monthly.

      To all intents and purposes those phones have been sold. Is the difference not what has been shipped and purchased but what has been purchased and is actually in the hands of the customer?

  2. PMZanetti - 9 years ago

    All you’d have to do is compare iPhone revenue to “Samsung Smartphone Revenue” from the same period to see the reality.

    • r00fus1 - 9 years ago

      You’d have to divide by the Average Selling Price to find the number of units. Does Samsung broadcast their ASPs?

  3. Toro Volt (@torovolt) - 9 years ago

    Regardless of Sales Galaxy S6 and the Note 4 have the best Cameras according to DxO Mark.

  4. Who cares ? and I don’t know why people like to see their phone in everyone hand around, that’s awkward to me I love to be the one to have a different good phone among people around me, being unique is a thing ;)

  5. philboogie - 9 years ago

    It must feel great to have clients fall for these type of analytic reports, but the truth is kinda different:

    “Samsung’s net profit slumped 39 percent on the year in the January-March period, the sixth consecutive quarterly decline, fueling further doubts over whether the tech giant will be able to turn around its beleaguered smartphone business.”

    http://www.cnbc.com/id/102629158

    • incredibilistic - 9 years ago

      For many it’s all about the headlines and they’ll spew this garbage like its gospel while claiming some phantom superiority over Apple and others.

      Never mind that Apple makes about 90% of mobile revenues or the simple fact that they have 4 phones on the market compared to Samsung’s 30+ models.

      Frankly the report is pathetic. If profits have slumped nearly 40% for the sixth consecutive quarter it’s like a homeless man winning a foot race against a millionaire. Sure he came in first but it’s back to holding cardboard signs on the corner while the millionaire climbs back into his Ferrari where his supermodel girlfriend is there to stroke his, uh, ego.

      • Sompuang Nontacha - 9 years ago

        Yours is the most profound comment I have ever heard of. Thumbs up!

    • Mondaris (@Mondaris) - 9 years ago

      Samsung doesn’t have any issue selling phones, don’t kid yourself.

      • b9bot - 9 years ago

        No, don’t kid yourself. Samsung sales are pitiful at best and losing marketshare like a rock and there quarterly earnings point that out quite clearly.

      • That must be why they went against their fanbase to copy the iPhone 6 for the new Galaxy 6S, even getting rid of microSD slots, removable batteries, etc. If they were doing so well, they wouldn’t be taking away from their customers to try and copy the bigger company.

  6. b9bot - 9 years ago

    Shipping to stores to collect dust, congrats Samsung. Meanwhile Apple ships to customers who have already bought all of there products. I really don’t see how this headline is really worth anything when you know Samsung sales suck and Apple’s sales are through the roof at record levels. It may have meant something before, but not anymore. Shipping doesn’t equal sales and sales is what really matters for the bottom line.

  7. Odys (@twittester10) - 9 years ago

    Schmucksung has been shamelessly copying Apple for years. There is no need to battle in courts to try ban imports of their phones. Consumers speak louder than lawyers – they finally realize that Schmucksung brings nothing innovative to the table. Its not only them btw – whole Android platform is stale: lolipoop with material design – that’s most “innovation” coming out of Google in two years. They always want to be first to bring features instead of focusing on being the first where it matters. They introduced all those features that fandroids are claiming Apple is catching up to. But they were introduced when either hardware was not there or there was no practical use for them, and they fell by the side as irrelevant. Plus to get to one feature, one needs to scourge through endless menus that Google calls customization. Now Android is out of ideas and focus. Apple’s strategy to stay the course and gradually add features in pace with usefulness is proving to be a winner once again!

  8. jimgramze - 9 years ago

    Buy one, get one free. That counts as two purchases, right?

  9. mpias3785 - 9 years ago

    I’d like to see Samsung copy Apple and report units sold, not units shipped. A recent report had a South Korean retailer with a lot of GS6s in stock but selling more iPhones. Taking up shelf space is somewhat different than putting cash in the till.

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Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Benjamin Mayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.