Despite Nokia and Samsung together selling 60 per cent of all the phones bought around the world, Apple made approximately $1.6 billion in the third quarter of 2009 – slightly more than Nokia, which makes them top of the list of money-making mobile manufacturers.
Nokia’s operating profits came in at $1.1 billion, so the difference was minimal, but still large enough for the Finnish company to be feeling a little glum right now. Their new flagship device, the N900, is on sale this month, which should undoubtedly boost profits for the fourth quarter.
This could all be speculative however, as Apple doesn’t break down profits for each product line, instead announcing profits as a whole. Strategy Analytics has released a statement saying they’re confident Apple’s profits stand at $1.6 billion for the iPhone however. “With strong volumes, high wholesale prices and tight cost controls, the PC vendor has successfully broken into the mobile phone market in just two years,” Strategy Analytics’ Alex Spektor said.
Within the third quarter, Apple sold 7.4 million iPhones, with sales amounting to $4.5 billion, operating profits the aforementioned $1.1 billion. Nokia, on the other hand, sold a whopping 108.5 million handsets in the same period, with sales clocking in at $10.36 billion, but actual profits were decidedly less at $1.1 billion.
