From 2001 to 2011, Sony fell from 44B to 20B while Apple surged from 8B to 376B. The crossover arrived in 2005, when Apple (61B) overtook Sony (46B), then widened rapidly through the iPhone era, reaching a 2011 gap of 376B vs 20B.
Key takeaways
- Crossover year: 2005 — Apple 61B vs Sony 46B.
- Apple’s scale-up: 8B → 376B (≈47.0×; ≈47% CAGR over 10 years).
- Sony’s drawdown: 44B → 20B (≈0.45×; ≈–7.6% CAGR).
- Ecosystem effect: iPod → iTunes → iPhone → App Store compounded momentum.
Analysis
- Apple: Tight hardware–software–services integration and platform economics created non-linear growth and investor rerating.
- Sony: Strong brand and legacy categories couldn’t offset disruption from mobile-first computing and ecosystem lock-in. Net result: a decisive shift from diversified consumer electronics to ecosystem-driven mobile computing leadership.
