Apple Becomes Third Biggest Mobile Phone Maker
International Data Corporation (IDC) claimed in a recent report that Apple has become the third largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world.
According to IDC, Apple has jumped up two places and reached the third position in global smartphone shipments for the year 2011. Great interest in iPhone 4S, which increased iPhone sales by 128 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011, is considered as the primary reason for Apple to reach this spot.
The IDC’s numbers suggest that, Apple shipped 37 million units in Q4 2011, which secured 8.7% of the market share. Nokia holds the first place with a 27% market share, followed by Samsung with 21.3%, Apple with 6%, LG with 5.7% and ZTE with 4.3% for the year 2011.
“The introduction of high-growth products such as the iPhone 4S, which shipped in the fourth quarter, bolstered smartphone growth. Yet overall market growth fell to its lowest point since 3Q09 when the global economic recession was in full bloom.”said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker.
