Samsung passes Motorola as top U.S. handset maker

For the first time Samsung has surpassed Motorola as the top handset maker in the United States, according to the research firm Strategy Analytics. 

The South Korean handset vendor had 22.4 percent of the U.S. market, compared to Motorola's 21.1 percent share, mostly because of the wide array of handsets that it offered.

The news comes as Motorola is radically shifting gears in its handset division, slashing jobs and repositioning its handsets to focus more on Google's Android platform. When Motorola announced its third quarter results, posting a $397 million loss, the company said that it would focus on low-tier devices as well as Windows Mobile and Android-based mid-to-high-tier devices in 2009. In addition, it expected to have an Android phone at the end of next year.

For more:
- see this article (sub. req.)
- see FierceWireless' handset metrics chart
- see some pictures of Samsung and Motorolla's holiday handset offerings in our slideshow

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