Steve Ballmer

Apple's iPhone will never gain a significant share of the mobile phone market.

“There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance.”

Said on

29 April 2007 · USA Today CEO Forum interview with David Lieberman, April 2007 (article dated 2007-04-29); quote as reproduced on regex.info, original USA Today page unreachable.

Source

Balmer's "There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance." Quote · Jeffrey Friedl's Blog (regex.info), quoting USA Today

Should come true

No date given

How sure they sounded

There's no chance ... No chance.

Categories

Technology

Importance

3 of 5 · Concerned the direction of the entire mobile phone industry and Microsoft's strategy in it.

Outcome

Inaccurate

The iPhone became one of the two largest smartphone lines in the world; IDC counted Apple as the top global smartphone vendor in 2024 with about 18.7% of shipments (232 million units). More than 10 years have passed, and its share has been significant for most of that time.

Evidence:

• https://www.gsmarena.com/idc_reports_that_the_smartphone_market_grew_in_2024_apple_and_samsung_still_lead_the_pack-news-66105.php
• https://www.mactech.com/2024/10/14/idc-apples-iphone-has-17-7-of-the-global-smartphone-market