Thankfully, the big brains at Canalys have some figures to back up their claims.

In the final three months of 2007, Canalys reckons Apple shifted 2.32 million iPhones around the world.

That sounds impressive when you consider Motorola only sold 2.3 million, but still has a long way to go to catch Nokia’s 18.8 million sales.

Pete Cunningham, senior analyst at Canalys, said Apple's 2007 iPhone launch had sparked a lot of media attention and speculation about how much it could disrupt the status quo and take share away from companies such as Nokia, RIM, Palm and Motorola.

"When you consider that it launched part way through the year, with limited operator and country coverage, and essentially just one product, Apple has shown very clearly that it can make a difference and has sent a wakeup call to the market leaders," Cunningham said.

However, it wasn’t time for pats on the back all round at Apple HQ. After all, the company still only has one smartphone to sell.

“Experience shows that a vendor with only one smartphone design, no matter how good that design is, will soon struggle,” said Cunningham.

“A broad, continually refreshed portfolio is needed to retain and grow share in this dynamic market. This race is a marathon, but you pretty much have to sprint every lap."