Skip to main content

Apple iPhone takes 52% of third quarter industry profits

In Smartphone news, the iPhone is making a lot of money for Apple—more than half the industry’s overall profits belong to the Cupertino-based company. Though Samsung has pushed way ahead of Apple for sales in the September quarter, Apple managed to command 52% of the profits with the iPhone.

This is according to Canaccord Genuity Analyst T. Michael Walkley, who points out that Apple’s profit command comes from only 4.2 percent of the global market share; smaller still when you realize that its market share has dipped from 5.4 percent.

Recommended Videos

It’s also worthy to note that in the third quarter of 2011, Samsung and Apple combined make up 81% of the money made for the smartphone market. The rest of the 8 largest manufacturers: Nokia, RIM, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, LG, HTC, all came in with under 10% of the profits.

Handset_industry_operating_profits via all things digital
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Walkley also points out that four years ago Apple was puttering around with only 4% of the profits while Nokia reigned with a whopping 67%, and now the two companies fortunes have reversed.

As impressive as that 52% seems, Walkley believes that Apple will be reaping even bigger profits when the fourth quarter rolls around. With Rim and Motorola struggling in North America and Nokia bogged down as well, Apple is predicted to grab at least 60% of the smartphone industry’s profits. The company is expected to hit 29 million iPhone sales by December and to pump out 104.4 million by the end of 2012.

Despite the popularity of Android, Apple ruling in the profits area has become a trend as Canaccord Genuity that the iPhone garnered roughly 50 percent in the years first quarter. Apple may have ceded the title of largest phone vender to Samsung, but of course that was before the iPhone 4S launch. 

Jeff Hughes
Former Digital Trends Contributor
I'm a SF Bay Area-based writer/ninja that loves anything geek, tech, comic, social media or gaming-related.
The iPhone 17 will reportedly get a new type of Wi-Fi chip
A person using the Apple iPhone 16 Plus.

By this time next year, Apple may have installed its own in-house Wi-Fi chips in all of its phones, or at least one of them.

According to Ming-Chi Kuo, a well-known analyst with a trusted record, Apple is working on its own Wi-Fi chips to replace the current ones from Broadcom, but there's not a firm timeline on when they'll arrive (via MacRumors). He says the iPhone 17 Pro might come equipped with this new chip, but other sources suggest it won't get widespread adoption until the iPhone 18.

Read more
How to fast charge your iPhone
iPhone 12 Mini with charger

While they may not be some of the longest-lasting smartphones on the market, modern iPhones boast more than respectable battery life that should be able to get you through an entire day's use without breaking too much of a sweat. Of course, that assumes a lot of things — including a battery that's still relatively new and in good health, plus a usage pattern that doesn't include all-day streaming or gaming.

But for some people, overnight charging isn't going to cut it, and you'll want to get your battery topped up again as quickly as you can so you can get back in action. Thankfully, every iPhone released in the past six years supports much faster charging, but the downside is that with very few exceptions, Apple has never supplied you with the right adapter to get the best possible charging speeds from your iPhone.

Read more
5 phones you should buy instead of the iPhone 16
Someone holding the iPhone 16.

Apple’s iPhone 16 has arrived, and it’s quite an impressive offering this year. Not only does it come in some of the best colors we’ve seen in a while, but it closes the gap between the base and Pro models even more.

That's all to say the iPhone 16 is a fantastic phone, but if you’re thinking about buying it as your next smartphone purchase, you should also consider some of these alternatives.
iPhone 16 Plus

Read more