Apple Pocketed $150 Billion in Revenues from iPhone in Past Five Years

Apple, now the largest company on the planet in terms of market capitalization, has been lining its pockets with revenue from highly popular devices like the iPhone, but have you ever wondered just how much money is at stake? The bean counters at Strategy Analytics did a bit of number crunching and determined that Apple has shipped 250 million iPhones to date, which have collectively generated $150 billion in revenue. Not bad for a smartphone line that's about to turn five years old this week (the first iPhone was released on June 29, 2007).

No doubt Apple's been making a killing on the iPhone, but the future may not be lined with peaches and cream.

"Some mobile operators are becoming concerned about the high level of subsidies they spend on the iPhone, while Samsung is expanding its popular Galaxy portfolio and providing Apple with more credible competition," said Neil Mawston, an executive director at Strategy Analytics.


Still, it's hard to argue with the numbers, and and there are plenty of them in an infographic making the rounds. For example, Apple's worldwide brand value has risen from No. 44 to No. 1 since releasing the iPhone. One of the more interesting revelations is a study that reveals "iPhone use triggers the same part of the brain associated with love and compassion. In short, we literally LOVE our iPhones," the infographic claims.