Apple and Samsung Overtake Nokia in Global smartphone sales
Apple and Samsung have leapfrogged Nokia to become the Worlds largest manufactures of smartphones.
The findings only go to show just how much Nokia has fallen from grace in the last few months and years.
Apple has had a quite remarkable rise from being a one time PC manufacturer to becoming a global leader in modern mobile communication devices.
“Just four years after the release of the original iPhone, Apple has become the world’s largest smartphone vendor by volume,”
Apple consolidates a healthy 2010 smartphone market share:
Apple now has a market share of some 18.5% this is up from 13.5% last year and is the reason that Apple are now sitting at the top of the Global smartphone market.
The continued rise is not looking likely t abate for some time as analysts have shown that Apple has remained string in the emerging markets of China and Asia, a key territory for any smartphone manufacturer to conquer if they are to remain in the number one spot and something Nokia failed to capitalise after disappointing smartphone product lines were eclipsed by Apple and Samsung offerings.
Samsung sees biggest smartphone rise in market share in 2011:
Samsung saw a huge rise of 12.5& from last years market share and sees them sit pretty with on 17.5% of teh global smartphone market by volume of sales, managing to shift some 19.2 million units compared to Apples 20.3 million units and Nokia’s 16.7 million units.
Nokia slump to third place with 15.2% market share:
Nokia have seen their market share fall from a lofty 38.1% in Q2 2010 to a 3rd ranking 15.2% as we see the smartphone market become dominated in almost equal terms by the power three of Apple, Samsung and Nokia.
Nokia spokesman Doug Dawson spoke recently stating:
“This is a tough year for the company,”
Samsung saw an increase of 520% in the second quarter of 2011 compared to 2010 and with the release of the Samsung S2 eagerly anticipated in the US in August, the likelihood is that Apple and Samsung are going to be at each others ankles for the rest of the year.
Nokia meanwhile need to prey that the marketing budget they are putting behind the release of a new line of Windows enabled phones, is going to be enough to turn peoples heads and more importantly live up to the hype!
Nokia report only second quarterly loss since 1998
The figures right now just do not add up for Nokia, as they recently posted a shortfall of some 368 million euros down from a paltry 227 million operating profit last year, times are not rosy in the Finnish land of Nokia.
Moody’s downgrade Nokia debt
It would seem that more people are paying attention to Nokia’s current woes than just their accountants and shareholders as Moody’s the rating agency downgraded Nokia’s debt by a factor of two notches this month, with the loss in market share being the main reason behind the move, they also stated that this might not be the only move that happens if things do not improve at the firm.
Doug Dawson – Nokia spokesman said:
“We’re in a transition, but it’s a necessary one to put down the foundation for a stronger Nokia,”
Nokia’s Trojan Horse?
With the recent arrival of Stephen Elop as new CEO of Nokia from Microsoft, a shock decision to abandon Nokia’s Symbian operating system for a Windows/Microsoft collaboration had many people wondering what the future was going to hold for Nokia.
The truth is know one is quite sure just yet. But the arrival of Windows Sea Ray could see Nokia really start to claw back the market share that they have lost by shear virtue of having a second class operating system eclipsed by Android and Apple iOS and also Apple and Samsung phones.
Windows “Sea Ray” and “Mango” to the rescue?
Nokia will eventually release their Windows based phone running a Windows 7 Mango update. The phone will be codenamed Sea Ray and will look virtually identical to the N9 , and it is likely to be a success, the only worry I have is that Nokia have confused people so much over the last few years that they will not fully understand that their new O/S of choice (Windows Phone 7/8) will be a worthwhile look in when they are already very happy with Apple and Android O/S.
I think they need to move fast to catch current mobile device drifters, as once a few (three or so) O/S’s enter the market I am unsure there will be room for many more once people get settled with the new options that smartphones offer (apps, video, location based services), so Nokia need to be involved now….and while I am no Microsoft lover, they do have a beast of a games console in the Xbox that could be a great selling point for the new Nokia Windows enabled mobile devices.
So keep your eyes peeled for more news on Nokia’s current ups and downs!
Anthony Munns