South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co. outpaced Apple Inc. as the world’s No. 1 smartphone maker during the July to September quarter, due to a 37 percent increase in global shipments of its Android-based smartphones.
Apple’s iPhone was launched into the market in 2007 and has been dominating sales and revolutionizing the smartphone industry. The touchscreen technology and interface has since been adopted by other smartphone competitors.
“Samsung’s rise has been driven by a blend of elegant hardware designs, popular Android services, memorable sub-brands and extensive global distribution,” said Strategy Analytics analyst Alex Spektorhe in a statement. “Samsung has demonstrated that it is possible, at least in the short term, to differentiate and grow by using the Android ecosystem.”
Although Samsung does not disclose actual unit shipments, based on analysis from the U.K.-based Strategic Analytics, in the third quarter its units shipped reached 27.9 million, or 23.8 percent of all global smartphone shipments during the period.
Apple shipped 17.1 million units in the same period, or 14.6 percent of worldwide smartphone shipments, positioning it 10 million behind Samsung. The Finland-based Nokia, the world’s No. 1 cellphone manufacturer, still has some catching up to do in the smartphone arena. According to the latest research reports, it had 14.4 percent of all smartphone sales.
Various factors may have contributed to the drop in Apple’s global smartphone market share during the quarter. Consumer demand for iPhones may have stalled temporarily due to anticipation of the new iPhone 4S release in the fourth quarter. Apple announced that it sold more than 4 million units during the first week of the product launch, which occurred in October.
Samsung also offers a wider product range compared to Apple, selling a greater variety of models which enables a broader segment of consumers to purchase, depending on the price point. Apple now has essentially only three basic models of its iPhones.
Beyond the sales data, there is an ongoing spat between the two technology giants centered around issues involving patent infringement in various countries, and both have attempted to block sales of the other’s smartphones and tablet computers.
While Samsung has Apple beaten in the general smartphone segment, in terms of the high-end smartphone market, the Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple still holds the leading position. Moreover, Apple is currently ranked the most valuable company in the world, with a market capitalization of 376 billion, 2 billion more than even energy giant Exxon Mobil.
Samsung, meanwhile, has the upper hand in terms of volume of smartphone handset sales, and is the world’s largest manufacturer of television sets. However, Samsung said Oct. 28 that its third-quarter net profit fell 23 percent year-over-year.
