Samsung & Apple take half of global smartphone market, Android & iOS hit 80%

Research firm Gartner released its numbers today for "Worldwide Mobile Device Sales" during Q1 2012. There aren't many surprises here when it comes to Apple, but Gartner estimated Samsung sold 38 smartphones during the quarter, less than the 42.2 million estimated by IDC earlier this month and more than the 32 million by IHS iSuppli. With Apple confirming 35.1 million iPhones sold during the quarter, Gartner's numbers put Samsung as the both the No. 1 smartphone and overall mobile device vendor. The report also noted Samsung and Apple together accounted for 49.3 percent of the global smartphone sales, up from just 29.3 percent in Q1 of last year:

Driven by the continued success of the iPhone 4S, Apple's sales grew 96.2 percent in the first quarter of 2012 as the new model expanded into new markets and carriers. Sales in China were particularly strong this quarter. With more than 5 million units, China became the second-largest market for Apple after the U.S. On top of the sales through official carriers' channels, there was an increase in transshipments from Hong Kong where volume has been growing over the past few quarters to reach a sell-in of more than 3 million units.

On the platform side, Gartner's report estimated Android and iOS combined accounted 79 percent of global smartphone sales, up from just 53.3 percent in Q1 2011. Of that 80 percent, Android grabbed 56.1 percent, slightly higher than the 51.0 percent of the U.S. market, according to estimates from comScore earlier this month. Apple took in the remaining 22.9 percent, less than the 30.7 percent comScore estimated for the U.S. market:

Gartner analysts said the smartphone market has become highly commoditized and differentiation is becoming a challenge for manufacturers. "At the high end, hardware features coupled with applications and services are helping differentiation, but this is restricted to major players with intellectual property assets. However, in the mid to low-end segment, price is increasingly becoming the sole differentiator. This will only worsen with the entry of new players and the dominance of Chinese manufacturers, leading to increased competition, low profitability and scattered market share."

Related articles

• Samsung remains top OEM in March, as Android and iOS capture 80% of U.S. market (9to5google.com)
• Apple posts growth among OEMs in March, as iOS and Android capture 80% of U.S. market (9to5mac.com)
• comScore: Android and iOS grab 80 percent US marketshare, Apple passes Motorola (9to5google.com)
• NPD: iOS plummets to 29 percent of total US smartphone sales in Q1 (9to5mac.com)

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