Apple's European iPhone sales climb, but not enough to beat Samsung, Xiaomi

Apple “beat” Xiaomi and Samsung a long time ago. 

Here we go again.  Selling a boatload of phones at razor-thin margins versus Apple selling less phones at a profit is not a success.

sflocal said:

Here we go again.  Selling a boatload of phones at razor-thin margins versus Apple selling less phones at a profit is not a success.

I'd rather sell a million phones with a 30% profit, than sell 100 million phones at 1% profit.  Does this really have to be rehashed again?

Like PC's & washing machines, smart phones have become commodities -- with razor thin margins. 

What sets Apple's phones (and stuff) apart is its ecosystem incorporating software, support, apps, integration, services, etc, etc etc...

...  We'll never know what Apple's margins really are.  To paraphrase an old commercial:  "Only her cost accountant knows for sure".

sflocal said:

Here we go again.  Selling a boatload of phones at razor-thin margins versus Apple selling less phones at a profit is not a success.

I'd rather sell a million phones with a 30% profit, than sell 100 million phones at 1% profit.  Does this really have to be rehashed again?

As a business person you may want that but why on earth would you want that as a consumer?

Especially when most of Xiaomi's high end products are providing in demand phones and a plethora of services and thousands of ecosystem products offered through partners. Even if they do so on 'razor thin' phone margins. 

Most of the other big Chinese brands also offer great phones too, along with huge ecosystems.

The issue has been expansion outside China. Until recently it was Huawei which ruled the roost outside China but for the last three years both Oppo and Xiaomi have been expanding rapidly in Europe. So much that Xiaomi is now becoming a go-to brand here and the Chinese brands are bringing more and more of their ecosystem partner products to the rest of the world. 

Apple literally sat on most of its money for a decade. It really didn't do much with it. I'd rather they simply charged me less, which ironically, is what they've been doing over the last few years on many models which, ironically again, they needed to do as part of efforts to stimulate demand. 

And let's not forget, every sale to Xiaomi means one less potential sale to Apple. 

avon b7 said:

sflocal said:

Here we go again.  Selling a boatload of phones at razor-thin margins versus Apple selling less phones at a profit is not a success.

I'd rather sell a million phones with a 30% profit, than sell 100 million phones at 1% profit.  Does this really have to be rehashed again?

As a business person you may want that but why on earth would you want that as a consumer?

Especially when most of Xiaomi's high end products are providing in demand phones and a plethora of services and thousands of ecosystem products offered through partners. Even if they do so on 'razor thin' phone margins. 

Most of the other big Chinese brands also offer great phones too, along with huge ecosystems.

The issue has been expansion outside China. Until recently it was Huawei which ruled the roost outside China but for the last three years both Oppo and Xiaomi have been expanding rapidly in Europe. So much that Xiaomi is now becoming a go-to brand here and the Chinese brands are bringing more and more of their ecosystem partner products to the rest of the world. 

Apple literally sat on most of its money for a decade. It really didn't do much with it. I'd rather they simply charged me less, which ironically, is what they've been doing over the last few years on many models which, ironically again, they needed to do as part of efforts to stimulate demand. 

And let's not forget, every sale to Xiaomi means one less potential sale to Apple. 

Are you trying to equate Samsung's or Xiami's ecosystem to that of Apple?

I think they could better be compared to that of Windows:  open architecture that has its advantages but also disadvantages such as less stability and less security and privacy.

But, in the end, like HP or Lenovo, they are selling a chunk of hardware, not a complete, integrated package of hardware, software and services.

(And, by that, I am not disparaging either one:  both have advantages and disadvantages.  They are just different approaches.)