Apple now tied with Samsung as world's largest smartphone maker
Apple now tied with Samsung as world's largest smartphone maker
For the holiday quarter, Apple reported that it sold nearly 75 million iPhones. The company had never sold this many phones in a quarter before. Thanks to strong sales, the company also reported its largest ever profit for a single quarter - US$18 billion.
Additionally, according to the latest numbers of analysts, Apple is now tied with Samsung has the world's largest smartphone maker. Both companies sold roughly 75 million units in Q4 2014. This is remarkable because just a year ago (Q4 2013), Apple had been outsold two to one by Samsung. Furthermore, the last time Apple topped the global sales chart was way back in 2011.
On the flip side, Samsung continued to report declining profits. For the holiday quarter, the company reported profits of US$4.87 billion, which is down 36% year-on-year. The mobile division was the biggest loser, suffering a 67% fall in profits. Fortunately, strong results in Samsung's semiconductor and flash memory businesses helped cushion the blow.