Apple, Samsung claim 95% of global cellphone profits, report says
Although there are hundreds of companies making and selling cellphones, Apple and Samsung accounted for 95% of the industry’s profits in the fourth quarter of 2012.
Apple alone claimed 70% of the cellphone industry’s total worldwide profit of $16 billion, while Samsung had 25%, according to a report released late Thursday night by Counterpoint Technology Market Research.
In third place was Nokia with 2%. That left the remaining 3% to be split by about 300 companies.
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“Apple has essentially created the smartphone sector as we see it today and its combination of beautiful, easy-to-use products coupled with a rich content and application environment has enabled it to attract outsize profits,†Couterpoint Research said in its report. “Only Samsung has come close to replicating this success.â€
The two leaders’ shares of the profit pool are up from sharply from 2011, when Apple had 51% of industry earnings, followed by Samsung with 15% and Nokia with 12%, Counterpoint said.
In 2010, Apple had 43% while Nokia had 20% and Samsung had 16%.
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