Apple's marketshare really did go down...

RavenSword

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It's really not too surprising. With android you have a variety of devices and prices , some very cheap. However, we need to look at the quality of those users. How many if them use their phone for more than phone calls and occasional web browsing? How many actually buy apps? And how much are the users spending ?

I think the majority of android users fall into the only calls and web category. And if that's the case, why should we count those users as the same as the other , more profitable users?

So yes, it's good for market share , but us market share all that matters ? What about quality of experience? And enjoyment of the device ?
 

Davehow

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I think Apple is in a good place. Remember, android is not a company it's an OS. Apple is more profitable than all the companies that sell android combined, except Samsung.

Windows phones and blackberry phones OTOH are doing poorly in both areas.
 

FFR

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actually I don't think profit share is MORE important. Profits = more money. More marketshare = more users.

More users would mean you have more success in reach...


Did anyone bother to look at the numbers?

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I don't put stock in marketshare.

Not only has apple increased profit margins last quarter, while also taking in the lions share of the profits for the industry, but they did increase unit sales by 4 million new iPhones YOY, and all this while being just a stone's throw away from the release of the iphone 6. it's simply staggering to preface this as anything but good news, especially considering Samsung decline in units shipped.

One more thing ;).....xiaomi and lenevo shouldn't even be on the list, they don't sell their smartphones globally, like apple, lg and Samsung do. In fact they don't really sell their phones outside of China and a small subset of the Far East. So their "marketshare" is confined solely to those locations, Where as apple, lg, and Samsung , are more ubiquitous globally.

FYI: mobile analysts skew marketshare by making up the numbers in the "Other" Category to keep appearances for those that pay them to . ;)

From an ex IDC analyst:

"So, the mantra became, preserve the growth rates; to hell with the actual numbers. Even the growth rates are fiction. The fudge is in the ?others? category, which is used as a plug to make the numbers work out."

http://fortune.com/2014/07/28/pc-sales-estimates-how-the-sausage-gets-made/

This is why profit-share is a much better metric to employ: you can't make up profit you either have it or you don't. :)
 

finn5975

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As a company I would take profit-share over market-share every day of the week. Apple produces a premium product and its target audience is such. On the flip side, the android based operating system is allowed to go on everything from a premium flagship device to a phone you could get out of a cereal box. If Apple sells 10 iOS devices that make $2 per, whereas Android is on 30 devices that make an average of $0.50 per, who is really outshining who?

A lot of times when folks, particularly tech enthusiasts, think of Android, they think of flagship devices like the Galaxy S series, Note series, HTC One, Nexus, etc. In reality, it is the low-end offerings from Android that make up much of the marketshare. Apple is just now after all of these years beginning to infiltrate that segment. Even still, the 5C is the only such attempt they have made and it is hardly a low-end device when compared to its counterparts.
 

Speedygi

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As a company I would take profit-share over market-share every day of the week. Apple produces a premium product and its target audience is such. On the flip side, the android based operating system is allowed to go on everything from a premium flagship device to a phone you could get out of a cereal box. If Apple sells 10 iOS devices that make $2 per, whereas Android is on 30 devices that make an average of $0.50 per, who is really outshining who?

A lot of times when folks, particularly tech enthusiasts, think of Android, they think of flagship devices like the Galaxy S series, Note series, HTC One, Nexus, etc. In reality, it is the low-end offerings from Android that make up much of the marketshare. Apple is just now after all of these years beginning to infiltrate that segment. Even still, the 5C is the only such attempt they have made and it is hardly a low-end device when compared to its counterparts.
So basically you are saying that Apple should have alot of money but not necessarily as many users...

Wait a minute, that sounds a whole lot like Microsoft...
 

finn5975

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So basically you are saying that Apple should have alot of money but not necessarily as many users...

Wait a minute, that sounds a whole lot like Microsoft...

They are excelling in the niche they market to. Their strategy has not been to pad their user base by selling low quality products. Yes, that is precisely what I am saying.

We can get into the mistakes Microsoft made versus Apple but that's a whole different thread....


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Speedygi

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They are excelling in the niche they market to. Their strategy has not been to pad their user base by selling low quality products. Yes, that is precisely what I am saying.

We can get into the mistakes Microsoft made versus Apple but that's a whole different thread....


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I would agree, except for the factor you forgot to mention, Samsung already stealing a substantial amount of that niche market, and yet have a bigger portfolio as is.

Apple just can't grow and isn't growing at the pace Android is growing...

Plus Android has phones that have better specifications and near-stock Android experiences at lower prices these days.


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the_tech_eater

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I would agree, except for the factor you forgot to mention, Samsung already stealing a substantial amount of that niche market, and yet have a bigger portfolio as is.

Apple just can't grow and isn't growing at the pace Android is growing...

Plus Android has phones that have better specifications and near-stock Android experiences at lower prices these days.


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Apple is one company. Android is being pushed by many companies. specs don't matter! Why do people always bring them up? It's really annoying.
 

finn5975

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I would agree, except for the factor you forgot to mention, Samsung already stealing a substantial amount of that niche market, and yet have a bigger portfolio as is.

Apple just can't grow and isn't growing at the pace Android is growing...

Plus Android has phones that have better specifications and near-stock Android experiences at lower prices these days.


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Remember though, Samsung just held their quarterly earnings conference and it was universally considered a disappointment, despite the fact that the S5 was released in the quarter. Sales were sub-par for the Galaxy S5. Matter of fact, the iphone 5S, despite being 9 months old at the time in the month of June, outsold the 2 month old Galaxy S5. There is something to be said for that.

I agree with you that Android is growing at a rampant pace. Apple cannot keep up with that nor should they expect to, as a whole. In terms of the niche they sell to? Yes, Android based phones have certainly infiltrated that market with some amazing devices.

I am not sure what to think these days. I realize the experience Apple offers with the marriage of software and hardware is excellent and is what appeals to many of its user base, myself included. But I was just talking with a buddy about this very thing yesterday. Android phones are coming out water-resistent/proof, large removable batteries, expandable storage, QHD displays, video recording in stereo, excellent cameras with OIS, 5" - 5.9" displays in designs that hold excellent form factor, and many software features that we still may not see until IOS 10. All we see in the Apple rumor mill is no OIS for the camera, no sapphire crystal display, sub-1080P display, etc. I love my iphone. I've owned every one. But with android's operating system getting sleeker and less laggy all the time, and the hardware boasting some serious merits....it is getting more difficult for me to stay than it is to leave.
 

FFR

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Apple is one company. Android is being pushed by many companies. specs don't matter! Why do people always bring them up? It's really annoying.

Exactly.
Specs don't matter because Google is more focused on optimizing android on low spec hardware, I e android one, instead of high spec, such as the htc one or the s5, but even those aren't 64 bit.

Secondly, android customer retention rates are rubbish, fool me twice, situation. It the reason apple is cleaning up; second or third hand iphone market and the iPhone 5c.
 

FFR

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Remember though, Samsung just held their quarterly earnings conference and it was universally considered a disappointment, despite the fact that the S5 was released in the quarter. Sales were sub-par for the Galaxy S5. Matter of fact, the iphone 5S, despite being 9 months old at the time in the month of June, outsold the 2 month old Galaxy S5. There is something to be said for that.

I agree with you that Android is growing at a rampant pace. Apple cannot keep up with that nor should they expect to, as a whole. In terms of the niche they sell to? Yes, Android based phones have certainly infiltrated that market with some amazing devices.

I am not sure what to think these days. I realize the experience Apple offers with the marriage of software and hardware is excellent and is what appeals to many of its user base, myself included. But I was just talking with a buddy about this very thing yesterday. Android phones are coming out water-resistent/proof, large removable batteries, expandable storage, QHD displays, video recording in stereo, excellent cameras with OIS, 5" - 5.9" displays in designs that hold excellent form factor, and many software features that we still may not see until IOS 10. All we see in the Apple rumor mill is no OIS for the camera, no sapphire crystal display, sub-1080P display, etc. I love my iphone. I've owned every one. But with android's operating system getting sleeker and less laggy all the time, and the hardware boasting some serious merits....it is getting more difficult for me to stay than it is to leave.

The problem remains for android, once iPhone users switch, it's just a matter of time until they switch back.

The iPhone 6 will have a disastrous impact on androids bottom line.
 

Davehow

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Android phones are coming out water-resistent/proof, large removable batteries, expandable storage, QHD displays, video recording in stereo, excellent cameras with OIS, 5" - 5.9" displays in designs that hold excellent form factor, and many software features that we still may not see until IOS 10. All we see in the Apple rumor mill is no OIS for the camera, no sapphire crystal display, sub-1080P display, etc. I love my iphone. I've owned every one. But with android's operating system getting sleeker and less laggy all the time, and the hardware boasting some serious merits....it is getting more difficult for me to stay than it is to leave.

While agree with pretty much everything you said there, there's one condition to all of that: every time you buy a new android, you're gambling that you've bought the right combination of manufacturer AND model (because even the best android manufacturers occasionally have bad model years). While a very small number of them are getting close to Apple's iPhone quality/reliability, they're still not there yet.

With Apple there is no gamble, they control both the hardware and software and even if you do end up with a defect, replacement is much less hassle. I hear what you're saying, some of the features android phones offer are very appealing. Provided you end up with a good one. Getting to that can be a tiresome and irritating experience.
 

kch50428

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"Market Share" Is a metric that is open to interpretation, and often used as a red herring in discussions like this... And has been noted, Apple's financials, which are the metrics that really matter, are fine.
 

qbnkelt

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Apple's market share has been dropping as Android phones continue to take over the market. However, Apple's *profits* have increased year over year.

I'm more than comfortable with Apple's status in the market. I will have a company making me awesome iPhones and iPads and my first Macbook Pro and iPods for a long time to come. Happy Lil!!!!!:dancing:
 

qbnkelt

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The problem remains for android, once iPhone users switch, it's just a matter of time until they switch back.

The iPhone 6 will have a disastrous impact on androids bottom line.

Impact yes. Disastrous no. Android, due to its large number of devices from several manufacturers, will continue to dominate until there is a drastic change in Samsung (leader) or in the platform itself.
 

Ledsteplin

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What she ^^^^said. I see this bit of news as meaningless. Apple just started selling 8 gb iPhone 5c's in India. Now they are in a lull. But watch what happens around October. Stats like these can change quickly.
 

Speedygi

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I'm not sure about the decrease of Apple's market share being due to the increase of dumb phone migrations to Android and other platforms...

If so, maybe this news mean nothing, like many of you has said.


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Speedygi

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"Market Share" Is a metric that is open to interpretation, and often used as a red herring in discussions like this... And has been noted, Apple's financials, which are the metrics that really matter, are fine.

Nah, if Apple's market share came down to single digits, it IS cause for worry. Let's not fool ourselves...


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