Apple Projected as World's Top Smartphone Vendor for 2011

About six weeks ago, it was revealed that Apple had passed Nokia and held off Samsung to become the world's largest smartphone vendor as measured by shipments during the second quarter of 2011, even if Nokia reportedly held off Apple in sales to end users.

digitimes 2011 smartphone forecast
Digitimes Research now reports that it is projecting Apple to take the top spot among global smartphone vendors for the entire calendar year of 2011, leading the way with nearly 19% of the market at 86.4 million units. Apple is projected to easily top Nokia, whose shipments appear set to drop 25% to under 75 million.

Apple is expected to overtake Nokia as the top ranking vendor in terms of shipment volume in 2011, while Huawei Technologies will enjoy robust growth in shipments enabling the China-based company to close its gap with Sony Ericsson and Motorola.

Apple's smartphone shipments are projected to top 86.4 million units in 2011, up 82% from 47.5 million units in 2010. In contrast, Nokia's smartphone shipments in 2011 will decline to 74.4 million units from over 100 million in 2010, said Luke Lin, analyst for Digitimes Research.

Samsung's strong growth on the popularity of several of its Android-based handsets should see it leap over both HTC and Research in Motion, but will not yet be enough to catch either Nokia or Apple in full-year shipments.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...

Top Rated Comments

cactus33 Avatar
181 months ago
[url=https://cdn.macrumors.com/im/macrumorsthreadlogodarkd.png]Image (https://www.macrumors.com/2011/09/06/apple-projected-as-worlds-top-smartphone-vendor-for-2011/)[/url]


About six weeks ago, it was revealed (https://www.macrumors.com/2011/07/29/apple-passes-nokia-and-holds-off-samsung-to-become-worlds-top-smartphone-vendor/) that Apple had passed Nokia and held off Samsung to become the world's largest smartphone vendor as measured by shipments during the second quarter of 2011, even if Nokia reportedly held off Apple (https://www.macrumors.com/2011/08/11/gartner-nokia-held-off-apple-in-smartphone-sales-in-2q-2011/) in sales to end users.

[url=https://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2011/09/digitimes_2011_smartphone_forecast-500x277.jpg]Image (https://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2011/09/digitimes_2011_smartphone_forecast.jpg)

[/url]
Digitimes Research now reports (http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20110906PR202.html) that it is projecting Apple to take the top spot among global smartphone vendors for the entire calendar year of 2011, leading the way with nearly 19% of the market at 86.4 million units. Apple is projected to easily top Nokia, whose shipments appear set to drop 25% to under 75 million.Samsung's strong growth on the popularity of several of its Android-based handsets should see it leap over both HTC and Research in Motion, but will not yet be enough to catch either Nokia or Apple in full-year shipments.

Article Link: Apple Projected as World's Top Smartphone Vendor for 2011 (https://www.macrumors.com/2011/09/06/apple-projected-as-worlds-top-smartphone-vendor-for-2011/)


I respect Apple not simply to seem cool or hip or something rubbish, but because what ever they do is well thought-out, successful, innovative, proper and not influenced by idiotic public demand. 4 years ago who would have said that Apple was to be the largest Smartphone manufacturer? I wouldn't. And to think they did this with 1 model!! HTC etc. have millions of models. That is why I respect Apple.

----------

But but but android!

Sits back to watch the haters

Android what? That has as much relevance to this as taking a pet pencil to a chocolate convention would do!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
notabadname Avatar
181 months ago
Impressive. If not only because this is done with essentially one phone model, and not with all carriers even.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zunjine Avatar
181 months ago
Hopefully within a year or so the only phone on the market will be the iPhone. I hope that every person on earth buys one and that all other companies go the way of the dinosaur.

Well that's just silly. But of course you're being sarcastic. Honestly though, who are you lampooning? No one here wants that to happen or has suggested that they want that to happen.

That said we like to see Apple do well because we like Apple products and the chances of more Apple products coming along rather hinge on the success of the company at present. Furthermore, a healthy level of market penetration for iOS devices is vital for the health of the iOS Apps market which those who own iOS devices have a vested interest in.

So it's entirely rational to be pleased that a company who's products you like is finding success. Let's not pick fights.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tony hatbasket Avatar
181 months ago
I wonder how this chart would look if there had been a new iPhone released early in H2. I guess we can see why apple is not in a huge rush to meet its usual 12 month release pattern.

As an iPhone 4 user on a 24 month contract it also doesn't bother me. If they leave it much longer I might even be able to resist the expensive mid contract upgrade and skip a generation. Though who knows how long it might be before v6
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zunjine Avatar
181 months ago
And all without a bigger screen

I've seen a lot of comments about how Apple simply must put a bigger screen on the next iPhone. Yet here we see that the iPhone 4 and the 3GS with there supposedly inferior small screens are both selling better than any model with the supposedly superior massive screens.

I won't mind if the screen size remains the same. I won't mind if it increases. But to suggest that the market demands it is clearly counter factual. Look at the numbers!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LagunaSol Avatar
181 months ago
Steve Ballmer: painfully wrong yet again. :apple:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)