Data & Research

Samsung the big riser, but Apple named as top smartphone manufacturer in Q2 2011

Shipments more than double to 20.3 million units

Samsung the big riser, but Apple named as top smartphone manufacturer in Q2 2011
It would be a mistake to claim Apple's rise to the top of the smartphone table – as tracked by Strategy Analytics – had come out of the blue.

Nonetheless, a comparative look at year on year shipment figures taken during the second financial quarter does make for startling reading.

In the same period in 2010, Nokia was the largest smartphone manufacturer on the planet by some distance, shipping 23.8 million handsets throughout the quarter.

Now, according to figures published by all the major manufacturers, the Finnish giant has slipped to third position, with rival firms growing apace.

Double header

Namely Apple and Samsung.

The top two smartphone manufacturers in Q2 2011 have seen their shipments soar – Apple taking top spot after more than doubling shipments from 8.4 million units to 20.3 million in the latest quarter.

Samsung, however, has seen its shipments jump more than sixfold to 19.2 million units.



"Samsung overtook Nokia to become the world's second largest smartphone vendor in Q2 2011.

"Samsung's shipments grew a huge 520 percent annually, for 17 percent global smartphone market share," said director Neil Mawston of the results.

"Samsung's Galaxy portfolio has proven popular, especially the high-tier S2 Android model."

Knocking Nokia

It's Nokia's slow slip down the table that Strategy Analytics believes provides the real backdrop for the latest numbers, however.

The firm's adoption of Windows Phone has now become even more crucial to its longterm success than when the agreement was signed with Microsoft back in February, according to fellow director Tom Kang.

"Having become the first ever vendor to ship 100 million smartphones in a single year during 2010, long-time leader Nokia has slipped two places in our rankings in Q2 2011," said Tom Kang.

"The vendor’s 15 percent global smartphone market share is less than half of what it was just one year earlier, as the industry awaits Nokia’s pending transition to Windows Phone 7."

[source: BusinessWire]

With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.