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iPhone Rakes in 8% of Cellphone Market Revenue, 32% of Profit

By , Thursday, Aug 6, 2009
17

iPhone Dr. Evil

All Things Digital reports that, based on Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi’s estimates, that while Apple takes in only 8% of cellphone industry revenue, they rake in a bind boggling 32% of the profit. This is similar to their share of desktop computing revenue and profits.

“With the iPhone and its Apps Store, Apple has established a formidable smartphone ecosystem, which history suggests is very difficult to overcome,” the analyst explains. “In fact, Apple has the potential to become a de-facto standard of sorts in the consumer smartphone market, much like it became in the portable media player market with iPods, due in large part to its first mover advantage and tight software and hardware integration.

Indeed. Applying the Mac and iPod business model, especially as convergent, mobile devices begin to outpace traditional players and platforms, was said by Apple to be their strategy from the get go.

Looks like it just might work out for them…

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  1. smchrist2 says:

    The iPhone rules. And I thinks apples only gonna get better with camera iPods and the itablet and new iPhones every year

  2. spook† says:

    that’s bind boggling.

  3. Jcalifornia says:

    Ok a new iPhone every year I don’t that will happen I think 2yrs but yhe iPhone rules and mac rules PC SUCK

  4. Matt B says:

    Haha. I love the graphic

  5. Ana says:

    yeah baby, yeaaaah ^_^

  6. iSkythe says:

    “they rake in a bind boggling 32%”

    Bind Boggling?

    And awesome new pic Rene!

  7. sting7k says:

    Lol, with everyone else. Hilarious graphic, nice to see some new “evil” themes.

  8. JenIndo says:

    TRY SphereChain for iPhone or iPod Touch

  9. the real truth says:

    They really seem to be suffering from all the app store controversy, huh? i knew it!!!!!

  10. Dev says:

    @the real truth

    They weren’t suffering in 1986-89, either, when folks in the Mac unit had solid technology, an early market lead, and breathtaking profit margins. They focused on increasing margins while keeping developers at arms length. How did that work out for them?

  11. Piper says:

    @jcalifornia:

    So far it’s been a new iPhone EACH year.

  12. icebike says:

    When one manufacturer garners that much of the profit it means they have monopoly pricing power. They can pretty much set the price at what ever level they want.

    The fact that the have competitors doesn’t matter, because their product is so compelling.

    Eventually, this draws new competitors with new product (HTC,Palm) because the potential for profit is so great.

    Historically, companies with pricing power tend to have long periods of being top dog, like IBM, Microsoft.

    But this market is changing so fast that I’m not sure Apple can keep up the pace. If the 2010 phone is a re-hash of the existing phones, the run is over.

    But if the 2010 phone has a new look and a new OS, then everybody else gets to play catch-up for another two years.

  13. Lolipopjones says:

    If apple can keep being innovative with the iPhone they should be fine. Its funny i have VzW sales reps telling me that apple will bend and give VzW their way for marketshare….

    Apple is going to work the exclusivity angle to try and keep the device a “valued” product.

  14. divalovemagic says:

    I agree that this is their strategy; except that they’re going more into the lower end market than they do with Macs; i.e. the continued selling of the 3G edition for a discount. It’s better than other smart phones for the same price. http://www.computersncs.com/rd_p?p=186122&t=9544&a=25008-theiphoneblog&gift=25008

  15. Chris says:

    the analyst’s thinking is a bit off…Apple didn’t have first mover status on smartphones. Smartphones had been around for a while before. To be sure though, Apple did revolutionize the smartphone world. But that doesn’t give them first mover status, especially with companies like HTC being around since before Apple, and slowly growing alongisde the big A

  16. Mike M says:

    @Chris – I read it as iPhone + APP STORE = first mover status. I don’t know if the revolutionary touchscreen smartphone would qualify them as first movers (it was quite a doosey though, to be sure) but when you add the app store to the equation, it’s checkmate for this round.

  17. The real truth says:

    @dev

    apple is still around right? Some might say stronger than ever. Mistakes were made sure, but they were certainly learned from n the sense that I don’t really think treatment of developers had all all that much to do with the dark period. Questionable business practices on the side of microsoft, vast amounts of money poured into products which didn’t exactly make good on their promises (pippen, original apple tv, even the newton). Mac clones weren’t exactly good for business either. Upon his return jobs didn’t exactly start kissing the ass of developers. He trimmed the fat. That’s what got them back in the game

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