Comments on: Competitors gaining on the iPhone

By: steve ballmer, redmond WA

steve ballmer, redmond WA — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 12:28:05 +0000

The iPhumb shall be taken down from it's ivory tower by the ZunePhone!

http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com/

By: Frank Smith, NY NY

Frank Smith, NY NY — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 01:38:21 +0000

Back to reality for the iPhone fanbois.

Did I miss that Apple is going to buy and run their own wireless network? Apple will always need to rely on the carriers. You would hope once LTE (read 2-3 years for major build out) is the standard they can reach agreements with all major carriers similar to Blackberry but that is asking much considering what at&t gave up.

Apple is also not reeling in anything with the corporate sector as they provide no mean to effectively manage and secure the iPhone. Many states will soon require device level encryption and due to no background processing – Apple doesn't allow it or have a means to encrypt. Sure it will someday but Blackberry provides this already and providing the AppStore is not high on enterpirse lists of mission critical projects.

In case you havn't left your Apple field of reality lately Apple still has their static 8-11% market share.

Apple fanboies greatest miscalculation is that everyone wants Apple products. RIM's latest quarter shows the market is bigger then Apple.

By: Travis D, Hartford, CT

Travis D, Hartford, CT — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 23:01:49 +0000

Isn't it common sense the iPhone market would eventually shrink? Ford Motor Company had near 100% market share in 1908, but guess what – as more car makers started to appear Fords lead shrank (now look at 'em).

As more 'touch/app/html/multi-media' oriented Smart Phones arrive, the iPhone market will shrink. But it will likely still lead for quite a number of years, as they do with the iPod. Apple has the genius of maybe not being first to market & introduce 'new' items, but they are ALWAYS first to market them well and design them and offer options no other company has. Then all the other companies play catch-up after Apple has already built an immense lead.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 02:51:22 +0000

With the latest SDK, the slew of new game and app developers and the rumored new hardware, I honestly believe Apple is going to leave it's competitors in the dust.

Apple controls everything, from hardware, the media content (music, games, movies, TV, podcasting of news and educational materials) and OSX Mobile OS and has it linked with all it's desktop and laptop computers and likely in the future, even AppleTV. Apple Retail Stores will promote everything for Apple.

Apple has the field covered so thoroughly from top to bottom it would almost be impossible for the other mobile platforms to keep up. Apple will only have to reel in the corporate sector and victory will be complete. Apple's potential is downright scary if the iPhone could be used with other carriers in the U.S.

Once WIMAX or LTE becomes standard, Apple could practically stand on it's own by being freed from the carriers.

By: Bob Forsberg, CA

Bob Forsberg, CA — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:50:32 +0000

Look at the product development of the iPhone. Apple releases the iPhone…everyone tries to catch up. The second generation is released, Apple still in the front of the pack. Now competitors are gaining again, just before iPhone 3?

Gaining? That's the real distortion field. I'd love to have those odds at the track.

By: ilya, LA

ilya, LA — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:27:39 +0000

I am willing to bet that if WAP is included, Apple would not be #1 overall. I'd have to go with Blackberry on that. Too many corporate users making searches on it.

Hell, i just got a Bold and I'm on it all the time.

Good call on the apps though. The more targeted apps are out there, the less searching will be done.

By: mark, boston, ma

mark, boston, ma — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:18:44 +0000

The handset industry, like most other industries, is heavily influenced by introductions of new models. Since the iPhone 3G release in July, all of the others have released new phones with non-baby browsers. Thus, they will gain back some share. If 37% is the best they can do competing against the now aging iPhone, Apple will be very happy with that. We'll see the other end of the range in July/August after the next-gen iPhones are released.

By: jmmx, PDX

jmmx, PDX — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:32:55 +0000

@ David Sachdev

You said: "To have left that [other, non-standard web access] out of this article shows that the author does not completely understand the space."

I disagree. The author here is merely reporting on the Net Applications survey that has been published. This is a survey where the scope is made very clear. It is up to the readers to understand this scope and limitations, and then assign to the data the significance that he/she feels is appropriate.

I view this as a very rough indicator of relative market share, BUT at the same understand that this is NOT what it represents. It's significance, like all the web usage surveys, is more in the changes over time than any particular numbers. Also, I discount small changes that do not persist or become a trend.

By: jmmx, PDX

jmmx, PDX — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:18:43 +0000

This is not a surprise, really. When iPhone came out, it was virtually the only phone with real browser capability – certainly the only one (I think) with a 3 inch screen. So naturally it leapt to the top. But this is not the Music Player industry. The cell phone market was an established industry with well entrenched players capable of responding and also had a built-in limiting factors (other carriers, demands of corporate players, etc.)

So It is natural that Apple will have to share more of this market than the music player market, especially as these new devices come on line.

But the chart actually illustrates a point that I made several moths ago. The iPhone has 60+ %, and the remaining less than 40% us shared by 6 other players. This is great for Apple. The iPhone will continue to dominate, it will continue to be the "gold standard" by which all others are judged, and the competitors will will be relegated their various shares of the 40-50% of the market. Now if you are a developer, for which platform will you choose to develop?

By: David Sachdev, Washington, D.C.

David Sachdev, Washington, D.C. — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:39:37 +0000

This leaves out all the of "internet" activity that is being conducted on Applications such as the iPhone…and I think it is pretty easy to see that Apple is winning that race at the moment.

As more Apps – Facebook, Myspace, Twitter clients, Bloomberg, Maps, etc become available less of the mobile Internet traffic is happening over the browser, and more is happening on targeted apps that enhance the experience and drive their own revenue stream.

To have left that out of this article shows that the author does not completely understand the space.