Where’s The Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPhone Stand In This Emerging Market?

We know that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is always interested in spreading its wings. While the company spends a lot of time and resources in major markets, such as the United States, there are others that receive just as much attention from the smartphone giant. We touched on this not so long ago, and are going to do so again today.

Taiwan is an emerging market and one in which Apple will likely devote more resources in the years to come. With this in mind, it is important to note that Cupertino is faced with quite a bit of competition.

Digitimes recently took a closer look at what is going on in this market, including how Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) stacks up against the competition.

Before we get into what Apple is doing, let’s take a closer look at what Digitimes has to say about the market leader:

“HTC maintained its title as the top smartphone vendor in the Taiwan market with a 36.9% share in terms of sales value in May compared to 30.6% in April, according to data compiled by local retail channels.’

As you can see, HTC is top dog in Taiwan despite the fact that the company often times have a difficult time competing in other markets. With this in mind, you can be rest assured that the competition, including Samsung and Apple, are not far behind.

The article goes on to add that Samsung is sitting in a close second with 29 percent market share, followed by Sony at 12.4 percent and Apple at 8.3 percent.

Samsung is in the best position right now to take over the top spot in the Taiwan smartphone market. The company is closing in on HTC in a hurry, and it will be interesting to see how things play out in the second half of 2013.

As of now, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is playing catch-up and first needs to chase down Sony before it can set its sights on Samsung and HTC.

Here is more on where the Taiwan smartphone market stands, with no note of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL):

“HTC’s flagship smartphone, the new HTC One (32GB version), was the top selling model in May, accounting to an 8% share in terms of sales value. Samsung’s Galaxy S4 ranked second with 5.9%, followed by the HTC Butterfly with a 5.5% share, the Galaxy Note II (16GB) with a 5.4% share and the new HTC One (16GB) with 4.3%.”

How do you feel about Apple’s chances in this market in the years to come? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, and check out this article for more information on what Cupertino has been up to.