Apple Projected as World's Top Smartphone Vendor for 2011 - MacRumors
Skip to Content

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

Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Tuesday May 26, 2026 6:32 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not launching until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. It was initially reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would have fully under-screen Face ID, with only a front camera visible in the top-left corner of the screen. However, the latest rumors indicate that only one Face ID component will be moved under the...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Just Expanded iPhone Driver's License Feature to Arkansas

Wednesday May 27, 2026 9:41 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Starting today, the feature is available in Arkansas, which is the 14th state to offer it. However, it may take some time to roll out to all users. To...
Apple Watch Blood Glucose Monitoring Feature 2

Apple Watch for Diabetes: The Latest on Apple's Plans for Non-Invasive Blood Sugar Monitoring

Tuesday May 26, 2026 9:30 am PDT by
For many years now, it has been rumored that the Apple Watch will eventually gain non-invasive blood sugar monitoring capabilities, which would enable millions of people with diabetes to track their blood glucose levels without needing to prick their skin with a needle or wear a dedicated continuous glucose monitor. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple recently shifted oversight of...

Top Rated Comments

192 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
192 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)
192 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)
192 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)
192 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
192 months ago
Steve Ballmer: painfully wrong yet again. :apple:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)