I’ve seen this breakout or breakdown probably a dozen or so times the past 2-3 years and some of it makes sense and some of it doesn’t.
We all know that not every Android phone is a smart phone. I’m guessing that only Galaxy 5 and 6’s count as Samsung’s smart phones.
I also know that every mobile product Apple sells is considered one.
Now, what about full featured Tab tablets and iPads? I mean the kind with full data capabilities? Do they or do they not fit into this breakdown? If they have phone numbers are they “phones”? Or are they computing devices.
If a Galaxy and iPhone are the same price what is the reason for such a profit disparity? Regionalization? I have no idea if Samsung gets away with charging Apple’s premium around the world and I know Apple doesn’t discount.
There’s more questions I have about the “why” in these reports and breakdowns than are ever answered.
It really doesn't matter, and shouldn't influence people one way or the other. Everyone should weigh the pros and cons when determining what product they need and want to purchase. However, we know they don't. By the way, my iPad has a phone number for the 3G access but it is not a "phone" so I would not put it in a mobile phone category.
I'll see if I can answer some of your questions.
Very few tablets have any phone capabilities at all. Very few of the Android devices even have Cellular capabilities at all like the upper end of the Apple iPad line for data. A tablet size phone is a bit ridiculous to carry around. Can you picture holding a new 12.9" iPad Pro up to your ear to have a phone conversation? Even the 9.8" original iPad would look ridiculous. . . otherwise you'd have to have an earpiece/microphone to have any kind of private phone conversation. They are just not too practical for the purpose.
In the Android Tablet count, they are counting every single tablet shipped regardless of capability or Android version shipped. This includes tablets made as toys that sell for $20 with Android 2.0 and no WIFI capability and only the built-in apps they include, and also the high-end $500 tablets. The toys may have only pre-school apps, no browser (remember no WIFI?), and no ability to upgrade the OS, yet they are counted as a "Smart tablet" and in competition to the iPads. In reality only a few, upper end tablets made by the high end Android makers are true competitors for Apple iPads, but they again lump all Android tablet forms, toys, etc., in the count as a Tablet competing against the iPad's market. They simply are NOT even in the same ball park.
Phablet phones are counted as phones. . . but some are counted BOTH ways depending on the company doing the comparisons. It seems it often depends on which makes Apple look worst.
On the other hand, Canalys counts all high-end Tablets as computers and by their calculations, Apple is the largest computer maker in the world by a large margin.
Samsung wound up with a severe problem in selling their smartphone line at the end of 2014 and were forced cut the production and sales costs in that area. They announced then they were going to concentrate more on their lower-end products where the profits were. The company said they had reduced their higher-end to only 19% of the mix to try and get the losses under control. In the later part of the second quarter 2015, Samsung cut prices on their flagship Galaxy S6 and Edge phones, which had been introduced at unlocked prices of $749 and $1079 respectively (priced on Amazon for unlocked MSRP phones in the month Samsung released these phones for sale.) for their introductory low end models, because of poor sales. The iPhone line has always sold from $649 to $949 from lowest to highest model (priced on Apple.com MSRP). So the Samsung was even higher priced for an introductory model than the highest capacity Apple iPhone!
Samsung is still in trouble with their bottom line.
Why is there a discrepancy in profits? Apple sells a better quality phone and doesn't discount. Samsung constantly undercuts itself by offering too many lower priced choices. They frequently offer 50% discounts with Buy One, Get One Free offers. . . or Buy One, Get Two, Three, or even FOUR Free offers. Samsung is seeking Market Share over Profit Share.
Samsung can't offer many apps the competition doesn't have since they all dip from the same Google Play store well. Since they cannot offer much that differentiates their products from all the other Android competitors in the OS, they can only compete in marginal things such as appearance, meaningless greater screen resolution, or price. They are competing against all those other Android makers who are also offering differing appearances, meaningless greater screen resolutions, and cutting prices in a race toward the lowest prices to capture that elusive market share. What else have they got?
Samsung's sales channels are all third-party. That means they have to share their profits with wholesalers, retailers, and carriers. That divides their margin down quite a bit. Those retailers include all the way down to mom-and-pop stores and corner convenience stores who may have several mid-level wholesale levels between Samsung and the eventual using purchaser, all of whom are taking a piece of what could have been Samsung's profits.
On the other hand, Apple's sales channel is extremely controlled and much shorter. While Apple does need to share their profits with some retailers, they don't have any wholesalers, and most of their retailers are either their own on-line store, their brick-and-mortar stores, their selected carriers, and also selected retailers who buy direct from Apple, not from uncontrollable middle wholesalers. This keeps the lion share of profits in Apple's tills. It also allows Apple unprecedented control over the consumer experience in buying Apple products. . . and how that customer will be treated. That kind of special treatment will result in more Apple customers wanting to buy from Apple again.