At 40 million units, Apple is now a phone maker first and foremost

Buried at the bottom of today's Apple App Store press release is the fact that since the iPhone went on sale two years ago, Apple has sold 40 million iPhones and iPod Touch devices. That is the same number Apple threw out at last months WWDC, so it is reasonable to assume the number is growing.

Let's put that into perspective. Over the same period, Apple sold half as many Macintosh computers. In 2007, Apple sold 7.05 million Macs. In 2008, Apple sold 9.7 million. Assuming recession-ridden-2009 turns out similarly, that puts all Mac sales at under 20 million units.

If you go a few more years back, the Mac numbers start dropping off. In 2006, Apple sold 5.3 million Macs. In 2005, 4.8 million. In fact, with most Macs being discharged after five years, you could probably say that there are more iPhoneOS devices being actively used than Macs.

The average price of a Mac is about $1,500, so net sales are probably still higher for Macs. However, as far as platforms are concerned, Apple is now an iPod touch and iPhone company first.

Obviously, as trends go, next year Apple's iPhone/iPod sales are projected to continue to rise at a much higher rate than Mac sales (barring the introduction of a blockbuster Mac Tablet-type of device).

It is interesting to note that at the introduction of the iPhone and the January 2007 Macworld, Apple had the foresight and confidence to change the name of the company from Apple Computer to Apple, Inc. (not to be confused with Apple, Ink). Were they so sure the iPhone would take off and two years later eclipse the Macintosh as the flagship product?

I haven't gotten used to Apple not being a computer company, but instead being a mobile handset company. I still think of 'Macintosh' when I hear Apple, but that may soon change.