Samsung, maker of the Galaxy S series of smartphones and tablets, might have sold more smartphones than Apple or Nokia during the second quarter. If it turns out to be the case, it would be the first time that Samsung has surpassed Apple in terms of smartphone sales. This might put even more pressure on Apple, who is currently in the midst of heated legal action against the Android smartphone maker.
According to Bloomberg:
Samsung is estimated to have sold between 18 million and 21 million smartphones globally in the April-June quarter, compared with 16.7 million for Nokia and 20.3 million iPhones, Neil Mawston, a London-based analyst at Strategy Analytics, a research company based in Boston, said in an e-mailed response to questions on July 22. The data exclude tablet-computer sales.
Samsung has a solid portfolio of Android handsets, with availability on almost every major carrier in several regions throughout the world. The first round of Galaxy S devices sold very well, and the Galaxy S II looks to be more desirable than the first. Unless Apple really puts on the legal pressure and creates and injunction against Samsung in the U.S., the Korean manufacturer might regularly outpace the iPhone by sheer variety.
Meanwhile, Apple is sticking to its guns, saying that Samsung has “slavishly” copied its design and that the Android handsets lack any real innovation. In turn, the Galaxy S maker demanded to see future plans for the iPhone and iPad, even though it never accused Apple of copying any of its own designs. Samsung also filed a lawsuit against the iPhone maker for infringing on several wireless technology and power management patents.
Despite the ongoing legal issues, it’s pretty clear that the Korean manufacturer isn’t showing any signs of slowing. And with advancements in the Android operating system and the growth of the general popularity of the platform, iOS can expect to see a whole lot more fierce competition in its future.
