Apple rides iPhone profits to become the most profitable global brand in Q4

US-based technology giant Apple remained the most profitable brand in the fourth quarter of 2017-17, capturing 86 per cent of total handset market profits, according to a report by Counterpoint Research.

According to the report, Apple’s anniversary-edition smartphone iPhone X alone generated 35 per cent of the total handset industry profits. This is a significant landmark, as the model was available in the market for only two months during Q4 2017. The premium flagship smartphone with notch-based screen generated five times more profits than the combined profits of 600-plus Android original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) during Q4 2017.

Apple iPhones, including the current flagships like the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, along with yesteryear’s flagships iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, led the list of top 10 smartphones that captured 90 per cent of the total handset profits. Other than iPhones, only Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S8 Plus managed to feature in the top 10, at the sixth and eighth positions, respectively.

The report highlights that the older-generation iPhones like the iPhone 7 and iPhone 6 generated more profits than some of the more recent Android flagships from key Chinese OEMs. Chinese electronics giant and the world’s third-largest smartphone manufacturer Huawei became the leading brand among all Chinese brands, with its profit increasing 59 per cent year-on-year.