Apple’s relentless surge continues. Figures reported by market intelligence analysts Asymco show that Apple has achieved an incredible 75 per cent of all mobile phone profits in the final Quarter of 2011. This remarkable figure has been reached despite the company being nowhere near the largest phone maker, having a mere 8.7 per cent of the global mobile market (that is to say all mobiles, not just smartphones).

Smartphones starting to dominate the mobile phone market: Apple iPhone 3GS, Motorola Milestone and LG GW60 Photo gillyberlin

Just to let that sink in: with just a 9 per cent share of the market and only 39 per cent of total revenue, Apple pulled in 75 per cent of the profits of the entire industry which are said to be worth around $15 billion for the Quarter. It did this with sales of 37 million iPhones, which was comfortably above most analysts expectations of around 30 million. Apple has a habit of surpassing analysts’ expectations.

Apple had 56 per cent of the profit share in the third quarter and 66 per cent in the second quarter.

Doubled market share in one year

That 8.7% market share represents a huge jump from 4% in the last quarter of 2010. When you consider that 1.5 billion phones were sold worldwide in 2011, it shows just how massive Apple’s growing dominance is.

Apple is now the third largest mobile phone manufacturer. Nokia is still the number one, but its 113 million sales in Q4 show a declining trend, and clearly margins are low. Its new Lumia line of smartphones developed with Microsoft will have to perform extremely well for it to begin to dent Apple’s supremacy.

Samsung a long way behind in 2nd place

The Cupertino company’s closest rivals are Samsung, the second largest manufacturers, with a share of 16 per cent of total profits. That only leaves 9 per cent for everyone else! Research in Motion had 3.7%, HTC 3% and the giant Nokia with only 1.8%. But whilst this might look like crumbs, remember it is a share of profits of $15 billion.

Apple’s brand is remorselessly on the rise. The Android driven devices out there are all seemingly in competition with each other. They might sell a whole lot more, but margins are far lower. It is hard to see how all of these manufacturers can survive in the face of such dominance.

Most data suggests that smartphones now account for between 30 and 40 % of the mobile phone market. Apple continues to notch up more milestones. All eyes will be on the forthcoming Apple iPhone5 which is rumoured to be on its way in the summer or autumn of 2012.

Apple’s run is showing no sign of slowing down right now.

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