iPhones accounted for around one-fifth of all smartphone shipments in the fourth quarter of 2021, allowing Apple to reclaim first place as the biggest smartphone vendor, according to a report from Canalys.
Canalys estimates that the iPhone accounted for 22 percent of worldwide smartphone shipments in the fourth quarter of 2021. The scale of Apple's shipments is thanks to strong demand for the iPhone 13 lineup, which launched in September last year. Canalys analyst Sanyam Chaurasia said:
Apple is back at the top of the smartphone market after three quarters, driven by a stellar performance from the iPhone 13. Apple saw unprecedented iPhone performance in Mainland China, with aggressive pricing for its flagship devices keeping the value proposition strong. Apple's supply chain is starting to recover, but it was still forced to cut production in Q4 amid shortages of key components and could not make enough iPhones to meet demand. In prioritized markets, it maintained adequate delivery times, but in some markets its customers had to wait to get their hands on the latest iPhones.
Apple reclaimed first place from Samsung, which had reigned as the top smartphone vendor in the previous quarter. Samsung fell slightly short of Apple's shipments with a market share of 20 percent. Xiaomi retained its third-place position with 12 percent share of shipments.
Overall smartphone shipments grew just one percent globally due to supply chain issues, but supply chain disruption primarily affected low-end vendors rather than titans such as Apple. Canalys also noted that it may be several years before component manufacturers are able to sufficiently increase their production capacity to meet demand. Industry bottlenecks are not expected to ease until the second half of 2022.
Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall.
At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface.
The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas.
Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial
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Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
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Monday September 1, 2025 4:35 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series this month, 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 to...
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Losing market share to Samsung. If I was Apple, that's the only stat I'd be hearing right now.
Samsung has been on the top of this list for many years. But as soon as Apple finally gets to the top... your first thought is "Look out Apple... Samsung is coming for you! Run!"
These market share numbers change constantly. And Samsung smartphones don't run iOS.
So if you want an iPhone... you're gonna buy an iPhone. Apple has a unique desirable product.
But if market share is so important... what if I told you that Honda only has 7% of the worldwide automobile market?
Pathetic, right? Perhaps Honda should close all their factories and quit!
Surprisingly, if you order the iPhone today, even four months later. There is still a solid 1-week wait to get the new iPhone. The demand still going strong.
Let's see 22% on iOS, so that leaves hmmmm, math is hard, oh yah 78% on android/others. What about all those who say apple is a monopoly? By definition, you can't be a monopoly with only 22% market share. Customers do have a choice and it seems about 4 out of 5 are choosing android. So maybe Android is the monopoly?
Yes, but that stat. shows less people want to buy an iPhone and more want a Samsung.
Partially because Samsung phones have terrible resale value compared to the iPhone. They (iPhones) hold value so much longer. It’s not even about the whole argument of which ‘smart phone is made better’, being that the hardware is great, it really comes down to the software experience long-term for the consumer, which the iPhone obviously receives a considerable amount of software updates/support.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
