ABOVE: iPhone fans around the world line-up to buy Apple’s newest smartphone
Of the 980 million or so smartphones that will be shipped to consumers around the world this year, about 26 million will be from BlackBerry, according to estimates. That’s a steep drop from the days—not so long ago—when the Waterloo, Ont.-based company was responsible for as much as half of all device sales in the category.
In contrast, Apple, once BlackBerry’s chief competitor, will ship 153 million iPhones this year.
Samsung, another competitor that once rivaled but has since far surpassed the Canadian company by most metrics, is expected to send 315 million Galaxy lineup units to wireless providers around the world, according to analysts.
This week in particular, BlackBerry’s decline was made clear: a hurried and surprise launch of yet another new device, which appears to have attempted unsuccessfully to paper over the far bigger news that the firm is planning the largest round of downsizing in its history. A massive writedown on the business also looms as unsold inventory piles up, according to reports.
Read more: Would BlackBerry’s demise spell Waterloo’s doom? Unlikely
Meanwhile, customers around the world including here in Canada once again lined up in front of Apple stores Friday to buy a new iPhone.
Here’s a look at how the two companies stack up:
(Source: Company and analyst reports)
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