Apple's Share of Mobile Phone Profits Rises to 93% on iPhone 6 Launch - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple's Share of Mobile Phone Profits Rises to 93% on iPhone 6 Launch

by

The latest numbers from Canaccord Genuity reveal that Apple accounted for 93% of mobile profits during the fourth quarter, leading the financial services company to raise its price target on Apple shares from $135 to $145. The firm also predicted that iPhone adoption could grow to 650 million users through 2018 as more smartphone owners upgrade to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Canaccord Mobile Profits
Barron's shares Canaccord Genuity analyst Mike Walkley's note to investors:

We believe the strong iPhone 6 replacement sales should continue during C’15, as we estimate only 15% of the current estimated 404M iPhone installed base has upgraded to the new devices. We also anticipate continued strong share gains for the larger screen iPhones from high-tier Android smartphones during C’15 driving strong growth in the iPhone installed base and model the iPhone installed base growing to 487M subscribers exiting C’15 up 20% Y/Y.

Apple and Samsung combined to capture all profits in the mobile industry during the fourth quarter, as competitors including Microsoft, BlackBerry, HTC, Sony, LG and Lenovo either broke even or faced a loss in value share during the three-month period. Apple captured 79% of mobile profits for the entirety of 2014, with a margin of 37% on operating income of $44.6 billion.

Tag: AAPL

Top Rated Comments

153 months ago
I find it amazing to see that with all the competition (even to the point of selling at a loss), apple is still able to maintain those kinds of margins. It speaks (at least to me) how well Apple does at all levels (hardware, OS, Apps, Marketing). Really impressive.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Crosscreek Avatar
153 months ago
I think Apple should add a 4" iPhone 6- to make up for that other 7%.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Michael Goff Avatar
153 months ago
Marketing won't save Microsoft. They were very unprepared for the post pc, mobile era. They have no mojo, no momentum and no foothold. It's iOS or Android. MS doesn't get a halo effect from its pc business and there is no compelling reason for mobile users to leave iOS or Android.

Can we drop this post PC nonsense?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
153 months ago
This post is poorly written. You're talking about financials, and then predicted adoption rates in the same copy. "Apple and Samsung combined to capture all profits in the mobile industry during the fourth quarter..." WTH does this even mean? They joined forces? Basically copying the linked to article and barely changing it into your own words doesn't constitute as journalism. You took the whole context of the original article and skewed it, and not in an understable way. Next time just link to the original article and save us the headache, NOT your own article on MR. That's just redundant.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
153 months ago
Microsoft seems to be going with the Xbox strategy of taking heavy losses in order to gain a foothold in the market. Problem is it doesn't look like Apple is going to give away their position like Sony did with video games.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
153 months ago
What is that, Apple makes 13X more profit than all its mobile competitors combined?

Granted I suck at math but the competitors are sucking at business at least compared to Apple.

It is easy to see that samedung and M$ commercials making fun of apple customers really paid for them.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

aapl logo banner

Loop Capital Cuts Apple Rating Over iPhone Sales Outlook

Wednesday October 21, 2026 1:38 am PDT by
Loop Capital has lowered its rating on Apple from "Buy" to "Hold," saying the company is unlikely to make up an estimated 13 million iPhone shipments cut from its plans for the second half of 2026, according to Investing.com. The firm reduced its Apple stock price target from $370 to $330. Loop previously believed shortages of memory and processors had delayed shipments that Apple would...
Stocks App Icon and Apple Logo Feature

Apple Becomes Second Company to Close Above $5 Trillion

Wednesday October 14, 2026 3:37 pm PDT by
Apple today closed with a market capitalization above $5 trillion, making it the second company to do so after Nvidia. As noted by The Wall Street Journal, Apple's market cap has exceeded $5 trillion six times before today during intraday trading, but this is the first time the company stayed above the mark at closing. Apple closed at $342.96, for a market cap of $5.005 trillion. The new...
John Ternus and Rainbow Countour Apple Logo

John Ternus Hosting His First Earnings Call as Apple CEO Today

Monday November 2, 2026 9:33 am PST by
John Ternus will participate in his first Apple earnings call as the company's CEO today. The call begins at 2 p.m. Pacific Time / 5 p.m. Eastern Time. Ternus and Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh will discuss the company's earnings results for the third quarter of the 2026 calendar year on the live-streamed conference call. While the call is primarily intended for Apple shareholders and Wall Street...
Latest Stories
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
5 hours ago
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
7 hours ago
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
1 day ago
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
1 day ago
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
1 day ago
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
2 days ago
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
2 days ago
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
2 days ago
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
2 days ago
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
2 days ago
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
2 days ago
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
2 days ago
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
2 days ago
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
2 days ago
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
2 days ago
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
2 days ago
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
2 days ago
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
2 days ago
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
2 days ago
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
3 days ago
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
3 days ago
Apple's First Touchscreen Mac is Now Arriving to Customers
Apple's First Touchscreen Mac is Now Arriving to Customers
3 days ago
Claude Gets Personal Finance Feature With Bank Account Linking
Claude Gets Personal Finance Feature With Bank Account Linking
3 days ago
Apple Arcade Adds Crossy Road Rush and NBA 2K27
Apple Arcade Adds Crossy Road Rush and NBA 2K27
3 days ago
Apple's New HomeView Smart Home Hub: Here's How Much RAM It Has
Apple's New HomeView Smart Home Hub: Here's How Much RAM It Has
3 days ago
iPad Mini vs. iPad Air Buyer's Guide: Now Just $50 Apart
iPad Mini vs. iPad Air Buyer's Guide: Now Just $50 Apart
3 days ago
First iOS 27.3 and macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Public Betas Now Available
First iOS 27.3 and macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Public Betas Now Available
3 days ago
Apple Announces a New Mac Sales Record
Apple Announces a New Mac Sales Record
3 days ago
Paid $200 for Logic Pro? Apple Says You Won't Get This New Feature
Paid $200 for Logic Pro? Apple Says You Won't Get This New Feature
3 days ago
Instagram's Edits Video Editor is Now Available on Mac
Instagram's Edits Video Editor is Now Available on Mac
3 days ago