The iPhone may have been widely criticized for lacking features like 3G and GPS or for being tied to certain networks, but there's no questioning the device has been a huge success. Despite launching in late June 2007 in a select few countries, the much-coveted device has managed to put Apple in third place behind Research In Motion and Nokia in the list of world's largest smartphone makers during the fourth quarter of 2007.
According to market watcher Canalys, some 2,320,840 iPhones shipped worldwide in Q4 2007, which equates to 6.5 percent of the smartphone market in that quarter. Nokia, while not so large in the US, had a commanding 52.9 percent of the smartphone market worldwide followed by RIM's 11.4 percent.
The iPhone reached second place in the United States, trailing only RIM's BlackBerry which accounted for 41 percent of the market and outselling Palm and all Windows Mobile devices combined. Not bad at all. But with only one design available, limited operator coverage, and a rather poor performance in Europe, one has to wonder whether Apple will manage to keep up.