Samsung Galaxy S3 top selling smartphone

The Samsung Galaxy S3

Samsung’s Galaxy S3 has displaced Apple’s iPhone 4S as the world’s top selling smartphone during the third quarter of 2012, according to new research.

This is the first time the Samsung Galaxy has grabbed the number one spot with 18 million units shipped during the quarter (a 10.7 per cent share of the worldwide market), up from 5.4 million in the previous quarter, researcher Strategy Analytics said.

Around 16.2 million Apple iPhone 4S smartphones were shipped during the period, down from 19.4 million in the second quarter. The Apple iPhone 4S’s share of worldwide sales dropped from 12.7 per cent to 9.7 per cent over the period.

Apple shipped 6 million units of its recently released iPhone 5, giving it a 3.6 per cent share.

According to Strategic Analytics, the Samsung Galaxy S3’s large touchscreen, extensive distribution network and generous operator subsidies propelled the smartphone to the top spot.

Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics said although the Samsung Galaxy S3 has proven wildly popular with consumers and operators across North America, Europe and Asia, its number one position is likely to be short-lived.

“The Apple iPhone 5 has gotten off to a solid start already,” Mawston said in a statement. “We expect the new iPhone 5 to out-ship Samsung’s Galaxy S3 in the coming fourth quarter of 2012 and Apple should soon reclaim the title of the world’s most popular smartphone.”

• Bookmark this page
• Share this article
  •  
  • facebook
  • slashdot
  • digg
  • Reddit
  • stumbleupon
  • linkedin
  • twitter
• Got more on this story? Email Computerworld
• Follow Computerworld on twitter

• Share
  Share this article1

  •  google+
  • facebookfacebook
  • slashdotslashdot
  • diggdigg
  • RedditReddit
  • stumbleuponstumbleupon
  • linkedinlinkedin
  • twittertwitter
• print
• email
• Bookmark