Apple leaps over Nokia to become top cellphone manufacturer by revenue worldwide

posted by Alan F. / Apr 21, 2011, 9:32 PM

Apple leaps over Nokia to become top cellphone manufacturer by revenue worldwide

Reuters is reporting that research firm Strategy Analytics has taken the numbers from Apple's recently reported second quarter and has computed that based on revenue, Apple has overtaken Nokia to become the world's largest cellphone company. Analyst Alex Spektor said, "With strong volumes and high wholesale prices, the PC vendor has successfully captured revenue leadership of the total handset market in less than four years."

Apple scored $11.9 billion in iPhone revenue during its last three month period. That surpassed the $9.4 billion in phone revenue that the Finnish based Nokia brought in during its last quarter. Had researchers used profits instead of revenue, Apple would have surpassed Nokia many quarters ago.

source: Reuters via RedmondPie

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17 Comments

1. taco50

Posts: 5506; Member since: Oct 08, 2009

Impressive. Go Apple!

posted on Apr 21, 2011, 11:15 PM 1

2. ardent1

Posts: 2000; Member since: Apr 16, 2011

Apple has shown if you made a plain, generic product (which happens to be good in the process) it can be a money maker. This strategy is completely different than the one where manufacturers throw stuff at the wall and see if it sticks. You look at car manufacturers developing different models to fill as many niches as possible and many of these manufacturers are struggling to earn money. Then you look at Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, etc and you see the endless number of new models that are coming out on an ongoing basis. With Apple, it's a standardized 3.5" screen with features that has been upgraded yearly and people know what to expect for the next model. While Apple may not set standards with its 5MP shooter in a world of 8MP, the iPhone is still a compelling product. In many ways, the iPhone is similar to the Model-T by Ford -- churning out a great product without too many variations.

posted on Apr 22, 2011, 12:00 AM 2

3. Whateverman

Posts: 3295; Member since: May 17, 2009

Apple's play a big part of their success. Yes, they have a great product, but the advertising is what really made everyone want it. And I think that's why the other manufacturers are falling so far behind. They rely on the carriers to get the word out about their products instead of doing what Apple does. Think about it, when was the last time anyone has seen a commercial for Samsung or Motorola. The Droid commercials brought Motorola back to life, but that was all VZW ads. HTC has taken Apples lead and if the rest don't do the same, they'll never enjoy anywhere near the success Apple has.

posted on Apr 22, 2011, 1:26 AM 2

6. aruegas

Posts: 9; Member since: Mar 04, 2011

What did Apple advertise about their products that made people want it? I see more expensive, eye-catching commercials from Samsung and Motorola Droid all the time. They're even on billboards. Motorola even had an ad from the last Superbowl.

posted on Apr 22, 2011, 11:56 AM 1

11. JeffdaBeat unregistered

From what I get from Apple commercials, they don't focus on the internals or guts of their products, but rather what you can do with them. You hear Droid commercials talk about how fast the processor is or how many MP the camera has, but normal folks have no clue what any of that crap is. All they hear is techie mumbo jumbo (seriously, that's what they tell me all the time). Apple puts it in normal terms and say, "This is what you can do with your iProduct" and people understand that. Now the quality of the product is up for argument...but that's what I get out of the advertisement.

posted on Apr 22, 2011, 1:47 PM 4

12. Whateverman

Posts: 3295; Member since: May 17, 2009

Exactly! Ask the average user what they like about their phone and they'll show you all the things they can do on it. What apps they have downloaded on it and things like that. And that is what Apple did with their commercials. And no matter if you love or hate the iPhone, as soon as you hear the first three note of that music play, most people stop what they are doing and look at the TV screen to see what the iPhone can do. The first Droid commercials were fantastic because it created a mystic around the product, that's what sucked people in. I agree with JeffdaBeat, the later ones got a little too techie for most people, but by then everyone knew what a Droid was. So much in fact that non-VZW customers were going to their carriers asking for a Droids. A friend of mine still refers to his Evo as a Droid because of those commercials were so effective. As for the Samsung commercials, what could you really take from those commercials...they had really nice screens? That's about it. I could be wrong but I don't think slot of people went into a store and said "I want a Galaxy S" based on those commercials. They were eye-catching but not very rememberable. But from Motorola (again, an ad campaign put together by VZW) the one thing that captured everyone's attention and made them look at the commercial was that sound of a computer voice saying "Droooooid!". Second only to Apple IMHO. These other guys better catch up.

posted on Apr 22, 2011, 3:35 PM 0

4. dede unregistered

In my country iphone4 costs 150$ and top models from samsung, nokia, motorola and htc costs 300$ (all on contract) wich one to buy??

posted on Apr 22, 2011, 5:22 AM 2

10. TreyTreyTaylor

Posts: 725; Member since: Dec 21, 2010

Thats exactly what these manufacturers problems are. Coming from a complete android fanboy, Iphone simply is the shit. You have to price your smartphones comparatively to the smartphone that is the shit. Nokia has a serious problem that i don't think they can fix. Nobody wants a nokia smartphone anymore. As awesome as they can be, the OS and the Ovi store is just bullshit. Now a 12MP Nokia with Android 2.3 and a 1800mah battery is pure rape.

posted on Apr 22, 2011, 1:08 PM 2

5. IOS5 unregistered

WOW amazing news GO Apple I wish that even Google/Android take the second place with there own phone nexus with new fabulous phone and fix the all issue with Android:)

posted on Apr 22, 2011, 6:43 AM 0

7. kev unregistered

easily enough to do when fanboys are so blind to buy mulitple apple device each year despite minimal upgrades and all the devices being extremely similar and massive in price ie. the poor fools who buy the ipod touch,iphone and ipads each year to keep looking cool and keep apple happy

posted on Apr 22, 2011, 12:35 PM 1

9. taco50

Posts: 5506; Member since: Oct 08, 2009

If it's so easy why aren't other companies doing it?

posted on Apr 22, 2011, 1:06 PM 1

8. TreyTreyTaylor

Posts: 725; Member since: Dec 21, 2010

Dam Noke, get it together.

posted on Apr 22, 2011, 1:01 PM 0

13. IOS5 unregistered

fandroid let google/Android fix your fragmentation then will talk.

posted on Apr 22, 2011, 3:46 PM 0

14. andro unregistered

Not a surprise when you see the saps out there q for hours to but every 'new' apple product despite having it already from last year albeit with maybe not the same level camera or what ever the newest model has tweaked like the VGA front camera on the ifad2 Good for apple to get away with it i guess and keeps economies going with these brain dead people dribbling up their cash

posted on Apr 22, 2011, 5:27 PM 0

15. samcat unregistered

It won't happen forever. I will never buy an iphone because it doesn't have flash. With Android phones now better specced the Iphone, Android will do to Iphone what they have done to yahoo and nokia and microsoft etc. It will cause them all to lose sales.

posted on Apr 22, 2011, 7:01 PM 0

18. Eingild

Posts: 203; Member since: Apr 19, 2011

Man, Apple's all over the place. I watched three movies today and the characters were all using Apple products.- from iPhone to Macbook. I'm not implying anything here. Just saying. Apple's on a roll baby. Lol.

posted on Apr 23, 2011, 7:17 AM 0

19. BK unregistered

In India the 3GS sells for $700 4g for $900 when and if it gets released. But androids sell from $200 to $600 and many phones for as low as $15 to $30. Apple is not interested in the Indian market it seems.