Data Analysis of Samsung, Nokia, Apple and Motorola in the Global Smartphone Market

This article analyzes the market share, strengths, weaknesses, and strategies of Samsung, Nokia, Apple, and Motorola in the global smartphone market. It includes data from 2008 to 2018 and discusses the competition, advertising, and target markets of each company. The article concludes with suggestions for each company to improve their market position.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................2
Samsung Data Analysis............................................................................................................................2
Nokia Data Analysis.................................................................................................................................4
Apple Data Analysis.................................................................................................................................5
Motorala Data Analysis............................................................................................................................7
References:..................................................................................................................................................8

Introduction
Most of us now believe that we can’t live without mobile phone but nobody knows that they have not
really been with us for a very long period of time; in fact the mobile phones that we know today have
been in existence for not more than 20 years. Motorola, on 3 April 1973 were first company to mass
produce the first handheld mobile phone. Mobile Phones are by now firmly involved in our lives. Mobile
devices is not limited only as a way of communication but also paved the way for new market such as
mobile payments, location advertising, and an entire series of apps which we use in day to day life.
Samsung Data Analysis
Region : Worldwide
Survey time period: 2010 to 2018 (Statista, Global market share held by leading smartphone vendors
from 4th quarter 2009 to 1st quarter 2018)
Samsung is a known brand in electronic industry but we hardly know that it ventured into electronics in
late 1960’s only and prior to that the group has interest in food processing, textiles, insurance, securities
and retail only. Samsung is better known for its consumer products and it has got a main line of business
in Smart phones and the above statistics depicts the Samsung smartphone business from the Year 2009
to the latest year. According to the data analyzed above Samsung market share in 2009 was 3.3% which
rose to 9.4% in 2010, 22.5% in 2011 and then increased to 30% in 2013 and again dropped to 21% in
2015 before settling in that range.
Percentage change of share from 3 .3% in year 2009 to 30% in year 2013 and then getting a drop in
market share continuously give us an immense worldwide change of market share of Samsung. After
Year 2014 Quarter 1 fall in market share in mobile industry worldwide from 30.7% in 2014 to 23 % in

2018 make us conclude that Samsung is Still in Struggle Pace and have to be highly innovative to survive
in this cut throat competition.
As can be seen from the above table, Samsung production volume reached the peak in Q3’17 and is
projected to fall in Q4’17 due to competition from Iphone X. Samsung sold 1.2 billion smartphones to
customers worldwide in year 2016 alone , expectation of continuance growth as number of Smartphone
users likely to exceed 2.5 billion by the end of 2018. In the second quarter of 2017, Samsung
Smartphone business amounted to 79.5 million units Vs. 81 million units in third quarter of 2017. (Corp,
2017)
In Comparison to 2015 figure Samsung is expected to do Shipments of more than 400 million units as
Samsung is expected to do a shipment of more than 1.8 billion smartphones worldwide by 2019. The
Company Figure have been increasing at fast pace in the recent years allowing Samsung to keep a pace
from its strong Competitors.
Nevertheless, Samsung has a comprehensive product lineup serving all customer segments from low
end to mid to high range. The Company has also established a wide and deep range of network of sales
channel across world. Introduction of Galaxy smart phone in 2009 given huge boom to the Samsung
smart phone industry, the Samsung Company has taken a lead in global sales figure for smartphones.
(Samsung SWOT Analysis, USP & Competitors)
The global smart phone market is influenced by two major players in the market, one is Samsung and
the other one is Apple. Together they comprise of nearly 40 % of market share worldwide.
The weakness which made Samsung still in struggling pace is
 Limited market share in a growing market
 Low cost mobile manufacturer
The biggest Competitor for Samsung is Apple and HTC.

Nokia Data Analysis
Region : Worldwide
Survey time period: 2010 to 2018 (Statista, Global market share held by leading smartphone vendors
from 4th quarter 2009 to 1st quarter 2018)
Nokia was once an undisputable mobile brand and emerged as a Global market Leader in the mobile
market in the early days of the mobile and smart phone era. They were the one of the first makers of
feature phone and ventured into smart phone as part of its marketing mix strategy. The Company has
played a very important role in the development of GSM Stands for Global system for mobile
Communications in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Nokia used to price its products in a way that they
had high price variability so as to suit the pocket of each and every class of society. Nokia did not sold its
product to customers directly. It made use of distributors channel to engage in the physical distribution
of its products. Nokia was a leading market player up to Q2 2011 after that Nokia sold its mobile Phone
business to Microsoft in 2013. (Nokia Marketing Mix)
The above statistics depicts the market share held by Nokia each quarter from 2008 to 2018 .In 2008
Nokia Captured around 40 Percent of Market share but by the second quarter of 2013 the market share
had just slipped to just 3.1 percent. In 2017, the company reported a huge loss of more than 1.49 billion
Euros. The Company is lacked behind because of other competitors who are far ahead in terms of
technology and availability.

Apple Data Analysis
Region : Worldwide
Survey time period: 2010 to 2018 (Statista, Global market share held by leading smartphone vendors
from 4th quarter 2009 to 1st quarter 2018)
Apple is the second largest vendor of smartphones worldwide; with the company selling more than
215.8 million I Phones worldwide in 2017 .Apple has been the closest rival of Samsung over the years.
Apple has been amongst the top five smart phone vendors in the world since 2009. With the decline of
Nokia, market leaders both Apple and Samsung grew their presence in the market. Samsung took the
lead and has held share near to 30 percent since 2012. Apple has consistently been the closest
competitor maintaining the position of second after Samsung in the world since 2012.

Apple I phone sales have consistently been increased over the period rising from 170 million units in
2014 to almost 216 million I phones sold in 2017. Recent growth of Apple can be seen with the
introduction of I Phone 6 and I Phone 6S as well as the release of I Phone 8 and 8s, with the
introduction of these new models Apple captured almost 19 percent of market share in the year 2017.
Over 78 million I Phone units were sold in the first Quarter of 2017. The main USP of Apple is it focused
on high premium and quality product with exclusivity. (Corp, 2017)
Apple’s global marketing share is good in comparison because it had given focus on Brand and customer.
It had clear idea about the targeted customer and has classified the product as per the customer. It
mostly focuses on future rather than present and face with the customer with friendly and helpful
customer service so that customer face comfortable to use apple. It is brand conscious rather than price
although it has repetitive competition for its each product like iPad bears competition from Samsung
tablets and iphones from Andriod based phone, Mac book from Dell. (Apple iPhone SWOT Analysis, USP
& Competitors )
Apple is known for its continues quest for innovation in product and technology and has a solid
distribution network globally to make its product accessible online as well as offline in stores. People
With increase in demand of more online music and content and Apple is tapping this market by bringing
innovative products, so it can lead the market.

Motorala Data Analysis
Region : Worldwide
Survey time period: 2008 to 2018 (Statista, Global market share held by Motorola in the mobile device
market from 1st quarter 2008 to 4th quarter 2012, 2018)
The Chart shown above shows the market share of Motorola in the mobile device market from the first
quarter of 2008 to the last quarter of 2018. Motorola held market share of 6.2 percent in year 2009. In
2009 it had 6.2% of global market share, on 2016 it posed 4.9%, but the weakness associated with the
Motorola mobile company lead to decline in market share and some of the factors which are
responsible for the decline of Motorola market share, some of which are as follows:
 High Competition has led to decline in share
 Limited Advertising and promotion as compared to the peers
 Untapped rural markets
 After the spin-off of Networks division and mobile phone division, revenues have fallen. This
caused a lack of investment for further expansion of the company.
Motorola targeted young generation and professionals mainly in metro with very less rural taping and
low advertisement as compared to its competitors. Even though it had a superior quality and brand
name but still it lost its market share, it can make a comeback if it gets its design more innovative and
start advertising and tapping rural markets.

Bibliography
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https://press.trendforce.com/press/20171109-3017.html
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https://www.statista.com/statistics/271496/global-market-share-held-by-smartphone-vendors-since-
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