More users, but not more users that really matter. That is, more users that generate more profits. Hence the difference between Samsung and Apple. It's similar to how Apple can have ten times the profit of Dell even if Dell ships twice the units.
The Android companies are like the PC companies: they have a commoditized OS and sell to all tiers, low and high, but mostly low and mid, and for smaller margins. Apple only sells to the higher end of the market, as they always did with their laptops and desktops.
>Now it may well be that Apple doesn't care about this at all. But please do not make arguments how technically Apple never led in the smartphone market.
Smartphone? I thought you meant "mobile phone with touch UI and great web browser".
Which is BS btw. Apple made a smartphone. Competing with entrenched smartphones. The fact that none (or few) shared it's design and particular qualities at the time means nothing.
In the smartphone market (which is a real market segment, instead of the "mobile phone with touch UI and great web browser" which is an ad-hoc thing you came up with), the iPhone was never top in market share. It was however top (and still is) in profits.
Apple does not care about the lower end (or total market share) for the iPhone. They care for the same things they do in their PC department: capturing the upper end, the more expensive, better margins and more headroom for build quality, end of the market.
That's why you have Android users be 3-1 to iOS users but iOS users still are 80% of those actively web browsing from their mobiles. Because beside the "tech-enthusiasts that don't like Apple" (a small-ish market) Android also caters to the lower end of the market, people who could not care less about mobile browsing or "computer-like phones", and just use it as a glorified phone that they get for free with their low-tier subscription.