Samsung outsells Apple in smartphones

UPDATE July 28: Samsung sold twice as many smartphones as Apple during the June quarter, according to market research team firm IDC.

Mid week, Apple reported iPhone sales of 26 million for the quarter - a big dip on the prior quarter's 35 million (though up year on year; see below).

Samsung reported a record quarterly financial result today. Earnings were up 48% to $US4.5 billion, buoyed by strong smartphone sales.

The Korean company did not break out smartphone sales, but IDC says Samung's shipments jumped 28% to 50.5 million in the quarter for a market share of 34.6% (against Apple's 17.8%).

Samsung is the best selling brand of several selling smartphones based on Google's Android mobile software.

The company is also performing strongly beyond the smartphone segment. In May, IDC estimated Samsung had passed Nokia in total phone sales.

Apple shares fall sharply after big earnings miss, iPhone sales tumble

July 25: Apple has grown strongly against its year-ago quarter, but not as strongly as analysts hoped.

The company's shares fell 5.5% in after-hours trading after its financial results were released.

Apple's net profit for the quarter was $US8.8 billion, or $US9.32 a share, up from $US7.31 billion, or $US7.79 a share in the year-ago quarter.

Analysts had expected earnings of $US10.37 a share.

iPhone sales dropped, and the average selling price of a handset also declined. The company has kept older models on the market as a move to attack the budget market.

Revenue rose 23% to $35 billion from the year-ago quarter, again fell below analysts’ estimates.

iPhone sales fall sharply
Apple sold 26 million iPhones in its quarter ending June 30 – 28% more than its June quarter last year, but a big dip on the 35 million sold in its March quarter and the 37 million sold the quarter before that on the back of the iPhone 4S release.

Some buyers may be holding off in anticipation of a new model of the iPhone, thought to be arriving soon. One industry report holds that the iPhone 5 will go into mass production for September release.

In the meantime, the iPhone has come under increasing pressure from high-end handsets in the Google Android camp, including Samsung's Galaxy S3 (which alone was on track to sell 10 million in its first two months). 

There have even been stirrings in the Windows Phone camp, with Nokia's Lumia series doubling sales to 4 million in the struggling Finnish phone maker's latest quarter.

iPad booms
iPad sales were a stronger story.

Apple sold 17 million in its June quarter – a big jump on both the nine million iPads sold in the year-ago quarter, and the 12 million sold in its March quarter.

Twenty-six percent of the company's revenue now comes from tablet sales, CEO Tim Cook says.

A 7- or 8-inch "iPad Mini" is said to be on the way before the end of the year. Apple does not comment on upcoming products, or release dates.

Mac flat, iPod falls
Apple sold 4 million Macs during the quarter, a 2% increase over the year-ago quarter. 

iPod sales were 6.8 million, a 10% decline from the year-ago quarter.