iPhone sales grew 245% in 2008 – Gartner
Apple's (AAPL) iPhone was the fastest-growing smartphone of 2008, despite end-of-year sales that failed to maintain the blistering pace set in July with the launch of the iPhone 3G, Gartner researchers reported Wednesday.
"Apple's initial sell-through dropped significantly as sales fell during the fourth quarter," Gartner said. "Nevertheless, Apple maintained its third position in the global rankings."
Nokia (NOK) still dominates the worldwide smartphone market with a 43.7% share, but overall it was not a good year for the world's No. 1 manufacturer of mobile phones. Its smartphone sales were flat compared with 2007 and actually fell 16.8% year to year in the third quarter.
Research in Motion (RIMM), HTC and Samsung all grew their smartphone market share last year, but none as fast as Apple, whose sales increased 245%. See Gartner's table 2 below:
New products offering "compelling device experiences and touch interfaces" drove smartphone sales in 2008, according to Gartner research director Roberta Cozza — especially in calendar Q4. With no new iPhone to show in the December quarter, Apple's sales to end users fell 13.6%, to 4.08 million in Q4 from 4.72 million in Q3, as Gartner counts them. (Apple reported sales of 4.36 million iPhones and 6.89 million, respectively, in those quarters, but roughly 2 million iPhones built in Q3 ended up in inventory, according to Gartner, and therefore didn't count as sales to end-users.) Still, Apple's fourth quarter iPhone sales were up more than 111% year to year.
With two new BlackBerry models introduced in Q4, RIM's sales were up both year to year (84.9%) and quarter to quarter (28.3%). Samsung had a particularly strong quarter with sales up 138% year to year, thanks in large part to its new touchscreen Omnia. See Gartner's Q4 2008 table below.
Below the fold: Gartner's tables for smartphone operating systems for the year 2008 and for Q4 2008.
Note: Google's (GOOG) Android operating platform is recorded in the Linux category, where it accounted for 20% of Linux smartphone sales in Q4, according to Gartner. Microsoft's (MSFT) Windows Mobile share includes smartphones sold by Samsung, HTC and others.
Gartner's figures stink. Gartner says that customers bought 11.4 million iPhones in 2008. Apple said they shipped (sold to retailers) 13.7 million. That would suggest an increase of iPhone channel inventory of 2.3 million over the year 2008 (13.7-11.4).
As Apple did not enter January 2008 with 0 inventory, Gartner is suggesting that Apple had channel inventory of 3 million or more iPhones in January 2009. Tim Cook, COO of Apple, stated in March that channel inventory was only around 1.75 million at the end of 2008. Therefore Gartner's figure for iPhone sales seem to be a million or more too low.
whoever says that apple's Market penetration is anaemic hasn't been to the UK; I was on a Pendelino to B'ham New Street and three of us on the 4-man table had iPhones…i felt sorry for the poor bloke with the Nokia
whoever says that apple's Market penetration is anaemic hasn't been to the UK; I was on a Pendelino to B'ham New Street and three of us on the 4-man table had iPhones…i felt sorry for the poor bloke with the Nokia
(1) Apple’s fourth quarter iPhone sales were up more than 111% year to year.
(2) The iPhone's mobile Web Browser does not support Adobe Flash primarily due to the fact that Apple believes it to be a bloated battery hog. Other than that it is as good as any other web browser.
(1) Apple’s fourth quarter iPhone sales were up more than 111% year to year.
(2) The iPhone's mobile Web Browser does not support Adobe Flash primarily due to the fact that Apple believes it to be a bloated battery hog. Other than that it is as good as any other web browser.
Apple sales grew 250% !!!!
And so friggin what? It's just the law of small (or large) numbers.
If you sold 3 mil devices last year, you only have to sell 8 mil. more to show that kind of growth.
There's a reason iPhone sales fell through the cliff in Q4, after initial excitement.
Anyone care to bet that Apple will sell more then 20 mil of iPhones this year?
And everybody will be so excited next year anyway, shouting – Apple sales grew more then 100%!!!
Apple sales grew 250% !!!!
And so friggin what? It's just the law of small (or large) numbers.
If you sold 3 mil devices last year, you only have to sell 8 mil. more to show that kind of growth.
There's a reason iPhone sales fell through the cliff in Q4, after initial excitement.
Anyone care to bet that Apple will sell more then 20 mil of iPhones this year?
And everybody will be so excited next year anyway, shouting – Apple sales grew more then 100%!!!
I'd like to suggest that Apple has a lot to gain from both the stimulus and the redirection of our economy toward green based jobs. In the near term, I think things like the restoration of grants and availability of student loans, and also the addition and/or fortification of school programs training people for the growing green-job base will lead to a significant increase in both student body and their financial enablement. That said, everyone knows what the hottest computer is among the youngsters. This goes as well for small green business' and entrepreneurs of such who need a small, effective computer or network that requires minimal maintenance, much less an on call IT guy. This could be huge people.
I'd like to suggest that Apple has a lot to gain from both the stimulus and the redirection of our economy toward green based jobs. In the near term, I think things like the restoration of grants and availability of student loans, and also the addition and/or fortification of school programs training people for the growing green-job base will lead to a significant increase in both student body and their financial enablement. That said, everyone knows what the hottest computer is among the youngsters. This goes as well for small green business' and entrepreneurs of such who need a small, effective computer or network that requires minimal maintenance, much less an on call IT guy. This could be huge people.
Just FYI jmmx, pdx. The G1 has a browser, mobile version of Chrome based on Webkit. The iPhone browser (Safari) is also based on Webkit.
Just FYI jmmx, pdx. The G1 has a browser, mobile version of Chrome based on Webkit. The iPhone browser (Safari) is also based on Webkit.
Consider these numbers include the 3G launch it shows how iPhone sales have fallen off a cliff and month over month since launch have decreased.
RIMM has 85% growth year over year you can't ignore that kind of growth.
Consider these numbers include the 3G launch it shows how iPhone sales have fallen off a cliff and month over month since launch have decreased.
RIMM has 85% growth year over year you can't ignore that kind of growth.
Amending my previous comment: On an annual basis, Gartner's numbers for 2008 look to be too high. Gartner has Apple at 11.4175m sales to end users, whereas Apple reported sales into the channel of 11.972m, which when added to the 2007 figures of 3.3026m and 3.704m respectively, means channel inventory at the end of 2008 was a little less than 1m. Apple implied channel inventory at the end of 2008 was around 1.75m.
ex ped: Are you using Apple's fiscal 2008 iPhone sales? Gartner uses calendar 2008 figures. Apple's calendar 2008 iPhone sales, according to my records, were 13.67 million.
Amending my previous comment: On an annual basis, Gartner's numbers for 2008 look to be too high. Gartner has Apple at 11.4175m sales to end users, whereas Apple reported sales into the channel of 11.972m, which when added to the 2007 figures of 3.3026m and 3.704m respectively, means channel inventory at the end of 2008 was a little less than 1m. Apple implied channel inventory at the end of 2008 was around 1.75m.
ex ped: Are you using Apple's fiscal 2008 iPhone sales? Gartner uses calendar 2008 figures. Apple's calendar 2008 iPhone sales, according to my records, were 13.67 million.
Can you check on how Gartner derives the "sales to end users" from the companies reported sales?
Apple's numbers are consistently low. In 4Q07, Apple reports 2.315m, Gartner says 1.9283m. In 4Q08, Apple reports 4.363m plus adds at its conference all that sell-through reduced the previously-reported 2m channel inventory by 250k; while Gartner reports 4.0794m. Based on Gartner's numbers, Apple's channel inventory always growing.
Can you check on how Gartner derives the "sales to end users" from the companies reported sales?
Apple's numbers are consistently low. In 4Q07, Apple reports 2.315m, Gartner says 1.9283m. In 4Q08, Apple reports 4.363m plus adds at its conference all that sell-through reduced the previously-reported 2m channel inventory by 250k; while Gartner reports 4.0794m. Based on Gartner's numbers, Apple's channel inventory always growing.
It would be nice if they had a category for 'Real Smartphones" – those that have true browser capability. (Perhaps "Class A Smartphones")
Because what we have here is a comparison of devices that are not really comparable. A phone that can display text from an email, is not equivalent to RIMM's Storm, or the G1.
Here we would see the real market share of the iPhone.
It would be nice if they had a category for 'Real Smartphones" – those that have true browser capability. (Perhaps "Class A Smartphones")
Because what we have here is a comparison of devices that are not really comparable. A phone that can display text from an email, is not equivalent to RIMM's Storm, or the G1.
Here we would see the real market share of the iPhone.
Gartner's figures stink. Gartner says that customers bought 11.4 million iPhones in 2008. Apple said they shipped (sold to retailers) 13.7 million. That would suggest an increase of iPhone channel inventory of 2.3 million over the year 2008 (13.7-11.4).
As Apple did not enter January 2008 with 0 inventory, Gartner is suggesting that Apple had channel inventory of 3 million or more iPhones in January 2009. Tim Cook, COO of Apple, stated in March that channel inventory was only around 1.75 million at the end of 2008. Therefore Gartner's figure for iPhone sales seem to be a million or more too low.