The iPhone captured 79 percent of global smartphone profits in 2016, according to new research from Strategy Analytics obtained by The Korea Herald. Global smartphone profit stood at $53.7 billion, with Apple's iPhone profit accounting for $44.9 billion.
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Apple held 14.5 percent global smartphone marketshare in 2016, second behind Samsung's 20.8 percent global marketshare. For comparison, Samsung, which posted an $8.3 billion profit, accounted for 14.6 percent of global profits in 2016.
The Cupertino company typically dominates global profit share despite not holding a large amount of marketshare in the smartphone segment. In the first quarter of 2015 alone, Apple accounted for 92 percent of global smartphone profit on 20 percent of actual smartphone sales. Similarly, in the fourth quarter of 2014 Apple captured nearly 90 percent of smartphone profit.
Much of Apple's success in late 2014 and early 2015 can be attributed to the popularity of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, sending Android global profit share down to 11.3 percent during the fourth quarter of 2014, down from 29.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013.
The popularity of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus helped bolster a .5 increase in smartphone shipments year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2016, edging Samsung to make Apple the world's top smartphone maker in the quarter.
Top Rated Comments
* we - The general public
I'm hoping the next iPhone costs at least $1500 so they can make even more money!
This is about profits and percentages of said profits. The resale value of used iPhones and Galaxies have nothing to do with those profits. In fact, each sale of one of those "used iPhone keeps an unbelievable value" actually takes profit away from Apple.:eek:
Apple never discounts phones at mid life? Uh, that's not true. Outside of the debut period, iPhones can be found discounted as low as BOGO (buy one get one) pricing through multiple carriers. I think AT&T is still running that promo now. Speaking of AT&T, they're one of Apple's biggest customers. Not you and me. The vast majority of Apple's iPhone profit comes from their primary customers: telcos, big box retailers, etc. For the most part, Apple doesn't get paid when you go into a store to buy a phone. Apple was paid long ago when that phone was put on a boat, truck, or plane and shipped to their customers.