Apple suffered a blow in the third quarter, as Samsung’s Galaxy S3 overtook the iPhone as the world’s best selling smartphone for the first time, Strategy Analytics claims.
The research firm states shipments of the South Korean vendor’s smartphone hit 18 million units during the quarter, pipping its rival Apple’s shipments by 1.8 million. While analysts say Samsung’s cause was helped by the large display on the S3 and a widespread global distribution network, they note consumers may have held off buying an iPhone because Apple had a new model in the pipeline.
“Samsung’s Galaxy S3 has proven wildly popular with consumers and operators across North America, Europe, and Asia,” says Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics, adding. “However, the Galaxy S3’s position…is likely to be short-lived. The Apple iPhone 5 has gotten [sic] off to a solid start already, with an estimated 6 million units shipped globally during 3Q12.”