Record shipment quarter for Apple’s iPhone, more than 20m sold

By Trevor Mogg July 28, 2011

Apple made some impressive gains over the last year in the mobile phone market, according to data released on Thursday by market research and analysis firm IDC.

The Cupertino company saw sales of its iPhone grow by 141.8 percent in the space of a year (compare that with overall growth of the mobile phone market of 11.3 percent). And just in case that 141.8 percent elicited nothing more than a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders, the next best figures were turned in by ZTE, with 36 percent year-over-year growth.

However, Apple’s rise in shipment figures for the second quarter still left it in fourth place behind Nokia, Samsung and LG Electronics in terms of overall sales.

LG Electronics will likely be looking over its shoulder though. In the same quarter a year ago, the Korean company sold a shade over 30 million units, whereas Apple only managed 8.4 million. This year, the picture is very different – while LG shifted just under 25 million units, Apple wasn’t far behind with record sales of 20.3 million.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Nokia was still way out in front with 88.5 million phones sold, though its market dropped 20.3 percent year-over-year. Samsung maintained second place with 70.2 million phones sold.

Apple will be more than happy with these figures, especially considering its smartphone, the iPhone 4, is more than a year old. If consumers clamor for the next-generation iPhone (and we all know how Apple fans like to have only the very latest version of their beloved smartphone), due out in the coming months, the company should easily move into third spot, above LG.

IDC pointed out another factor that will determine the level of the comapany’s success in the mobile phone market. Commenting in its press release, the research firm said: “Apple’s ability to bring its smartphone momentum to developing economies, where it’s less successful, will help dictate the company’s smartphone fortunes in future.”

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

Mobile

iPhone SE deals: Refurbished 2nd and 3rd Gen iPhones

apple iphone se 2020 news new black camera and touch id 04152020

Apple’s iPhone is one of the most popular phones on the planet, and whatever its current model happens to be almost always ranks among the best phones. This makes the iPhone an expensive purchase, which is where the iPhone SE comes in. Apple launched the iPhone SE in order to make an iPhone affordable to more people. The SE utilizes technology that’s a generation or two old and will often take the form factor of a previous iPhone model. Right now the it's a great phone to turn to for even more savings. There are some iPhone SE deals to take a look at out there, and while it’s difficult to find newer iPhone SE models, you can shop refurbished knowing the big retailers are likely backing the purchase with warranties and solid return windows. So whether you’re looking for some great iPhone deals or phone deals in general, below you’ll find the best iPhone SE deals to shop right now.
iPhone SE 2nd Gen deals

The second generation of the iPhone SE was initially launched in 2020, but it still manages to keep up with the needs of many phone users today. It utilizes the body of the Apple iPhone 8, which means it will have a home button and fingerprint ID instead of the Face ID technology in current iPhone models. That’s not much to give up, however, as the second generation iPhone SE still has a great display, a 12-megapixel camera with the ability to shoot 4K video, and wireless charging capability.

Mobile

This one Apple Fitness feature completely changed how I exercise

Someone holding an iPhone with the Apple Fitness app open, showing the Custom Plans feature.

I have a confession to make: I'm not good at sticking to a workout routine. I love running, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), strength training, etc. In the moment of those exercises and in the post-workout euphoria, I feel amazing. But when it comes to waking up early in the morning to do these things before work? Well, that's where I really struggle.

This has been a problem for a while now. I go to bed with the goal of waking up early and going to the gym, but as I groggily open my eyes to snooze the alarm on my iPhone 15 Pro Max, I end up falling back asleep. And I've been repeating this over and over and over again.

Mobile

Best refurbished iPhone deals: Get an iPhone 14 for $513

An iPhone 13 in white color option.

The Apple iPhone is one of the best phones on the market, and because of it they don’t often come cheap. There are some great iPhone deals out there, but it’s rare to find significant discounts on newer models without having to commit to a longterm contract with a carrier, and it’s even less frequent you come across one of the best iPhones with a major price drop. This is where shopping refurbished can come in handy. Refurbished iPhones — for the most part — will come backed with a functionality guarantee or extended return window, making refurbished iPhones as safe of a purchase as shopping new. There are a lot of refurbished iPhone models seeing great price drops right now, which is why we’ve done the heavy lifting of rounding up all of the best refurbished iPhone deals. You’ll find them below, as well as some information on which refurbished iPhone might be best for you.
iPhone XR -- from $136

A refurbished model but one that's unlocked and comes with a full one-year warranty, the Apple iPhone XR is still pretty stylish for its age. It has a large 6.1-inch LCD screen with 1,792 x 828 resolution with Liquid Retina technology ensuring it looks super sharp. Powered by the A12 Bionic chip, it's starting to show its age but still has potential. There's also a 12MP back camera that can shoot 4K videos while the front-facing camera is 7MP and ideal for selfie-taking.