According to a report by Strategy Analytics, Samsung’s Galaxy S III beat out the iPhone 4S to claim the title as the world’s best selling smartphone in Q3 2012. The report claims Samsung sold 18 million Galaxy S III handsets in the quarter. This figure beats the 16.2 million iPhone 4S phones moved by Apple. The S3 also grabbed an impressive 10.7 percent share of the global smartphone market, edging out the 9.7 percent for the iPhone 4S.
These figures might be swayed slightly by the launch of the iPhone 5, which presumably cannibalized sales of the iPhone 4S in countries where Apple’s latest smartphone was available. Apple doesn’t break down sales figures by model, but Strategy Analytics estimated the company sold 6 million iPhone 5 units, which is a 3.6 percent share of the global smartphone market.
Samsung should enjoy its time in the spotlight as next quarter’s results are expected to shift to Apple. The Galaxy S III is now several months old, while the iPhone 5 is new and launched right at the end of Q3. Apple is rolling out its latest handset at a feverish pace and expects to release it in more than 100 countries by the end of the year. Regardless of who wins next quarter, the smartphone market right now is dominated by Apple and Samsung, whose flagship smartphones account for 24 percent of global smartphone sales in the quarter.
[Via The Next Web and Strategy Analytics]