Apple has surprised many experts involved in the world of mobile phones by taking a 1.1% market share of the global mobile phone market. Apple managed to shift over thirteen million iPhone 3G models during 2008, causing its market share percentage to grow from 0.3% to 1.1% in the space of just one year. Cynics may question the significance of this news, particularly when viewed in the light of other mobile phone company percentages. For instance, Nokia has a 38.6% market share, making it the current leader in the market by a long way.

However, it is, in reality, a remarkable step for Apple. The company’s market share has allowed it to establish itself as a close rival to Sharp. Furthermore, Kyocera’s percentage is currently at 1.4% and RIM’s is at 1.9%. The gap between RIM and the next company on the list of the top ten mobile phone vendors is relatively large. Sony Ericsson, the fifth largest vendor, has a market share of 8%. Motorola has an 8.3% market share but this figure is declining.

The achievement is even more remarkable given the public response to Steve Jobs’ revelation in 2007 that the company had a desire to reach a share of 1%. Many experts found this goal laughable and dismissed the attempts of Apple to achieve its ambitions. The good news for the company is that 2009 is expected to be a relatively strong year, despite the recession. This is primarily due to the rise in popularity of the smart phone.