When it comes to operating profits, there is a huge difference between Apple and Android and that gap is all the more evident in this first quarter of 2017. In the latest figures released by Strategy Analytics, it seems that the former account for an overwhleming 83.4% in terms of the global industry. Android OEMs meanwhile have to divvy up the remaining 16.6 % left. And Samsung has claimed 12.1 % of that already, leaving the others to scramble for what’s left of the market.
The whole global smartphone industry earned a combined operating profit of $1.57 billion from January – March 2017, down 21.9% from last year. Samsung claimed 12.9% of that, but it is still far away from the iPHone’s dominance. However, the good news is that a month later, April 21 to be exact, their newest flagship, the Galaxy S8 was officially unleashed in the market. And early figures, well at least the ones released by the company, show that it is a hit, hitting one million in terms of devices shipped in just 37 days, selling two times faster than the two previous flagships.
This is great news for a company that has been struggling to improve its profitability. The past few years, their numbers have been falling down every year, from a high of 22.1% in 2013, to gradually falling to 11.6% in 2016. The global recall of the Galaxy Note 7 may have also affected it, but if the Galaxy S8 numbers are any indication, the public may have forgiven them already.
There are currently around 300 smartphone makers in the world, but according to an industry insider, only 10 of those companies are actually generating profits. “In terms of profitability, Apple’s domination and the market’s bipolarization between companies that make money and those struggling to turn a profit are becoming clear,” the insider said.
VIA: Yonhap News
