Get out your torches, it’s time for an Apple v Samsung fight. The iSheep versus the S sheep. We all know that 2012 was a huge year for Samsung, it was also a big year for Apple as well. It was their first calendar year without Steve Jobs at the helm. The folks over at MBAOnline have created a nice infographic that we’ve got down below that shows how Samsung rose and how it can become the undisputed king of smartphones.
In 2012, only two manufacturers made a profit on smartphones, that was Samsung and Apple. Apple made about $156.5 billion in revenue in 2012, while Samsung made a whopping $183.5 billion. So advantage Samsung. Samsung has more employees as well, 220 thousand to 115,200 that work for Apple. Once again, advantage Samsung. Now onto research and advertising, for research Samsung outspent Apple $10.5 billion to only $3.4 billion. Advertising, Samsung did nearly $3 billion, and Apple barely hit $1 billion. The only company Samsung didn’t beat in advertising spending was Coca-Cola.
Now here’s the kicker, the one place that Samsung can’t beat Apple. Greater profit. This is measuring in Q4 of 2012, for every dollar spent on a smartphone, Apple makes $.43 while Samsung makes $.36, and just for kicks, Nokia is at $.07 and everyone else is $.14. So that means that Apple’s profit was actually 43% greater than Samsung’s, even though Samsung sold many more phones. Samsung sold 66.1 million to Apple’s 45.8 million in Q3 of 2012.
So what’s the most telling of all? In 2012, Apple is ranked 1st for smartphone brand loyalty and in 2013 Samsung is placed 1st in the smartphone category with Apple second. So it’s a pretty tight race between these two. But in 2013, I think Samsung is going to continue their dominance over Apple and the other OEM’s out there.
What do you think? Can Samsung beat Apple in the greater profit category? Given that they are still using cheap plastic to make their phones? Let us know in the comments below.