Apple today reported a 6.9 million iphones shipped the last quarter, passing by 3 million the 10 million mark set by Apple when the iPhone was introduced, something that places Apple in a healthy position in a industry that live with a shrinking earning margin.

Apple has done a remarkable job beating RIM, selling 13 million of iPhone and generating enough money to guarantee the innovation at home. Apple has taken the market by storm, created a trend in mobile telephony and mandate what and how to do business, it is growing and surpassing established companies that used to be the innovators, but have seen its business eroded completely by Apple strong presence in that sector.

Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Motorola have shown that, while the were driving the market, today is strongly difficult for them to compete with Apple with the same level of innovation and price.

The problem in competing with the iPhone is that Apple is an unpredictable company, that really know how and when sacrify or risk its business to conquer a broader market, Apple killed the most requested iPod and introduced a refined version, risking to lose sales while trying to provide a better product, this is something nobody would even try, but that move resulted in better sales and better quarter earnings.

So, if rivals are thinking that this success will put Apple to rest while they prepare a iPhone killing strategy, they must wake up now, Apple won’t rest on its laurels and the next iPhone killer is created by Apple itself.