The news that Samsung will post its first quarterly profit in two years came with a caveat: this jump in revenue has not been driven by the firm’s mobile division.
However, as Thursday’s Chart of the Day shows, Samsung can claim to have more mobile users among the global internet population than any of its competitors. 1 in 3 online adults say they own a Samsung phone, with rates reaching over 50% in its home market of South Korea.
These figures place it well ahead of its closest rival (the iPhone, on 21% globally) but Samsung has always struggled to produce the type of profitable handset that has long been Apple’s trump card.
This situation could change, however. Currently, 13% of Samsung owners have a S4, while 12% own an S5 and 5% have upgraded to an S6. If Samsung can convince more users to switch to these high-end phones, it may be able to turn its impressive market share into impressive profits.
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