The smartphone segment was boosted in the third quarter of 2014 by the launch of Apple's iPhone 6 combined with the continual adoption of lower-cost, entry-level smartphones that enable new users to become mobile broadband subscribers for the first time, particularly in developing economies. According to Infonetics Research, the market is also now approaching an inflection point at which sales of LTE smartphones begin to outpace W-CDMA/HSPA smartphones. While both categories will see strong growth in 2015, LTE-based smartphones will account for the clear majority of smartphone sales beginning in 2016, the research company added. Apple was the smartphone market share leader in the third quarter owing to improving sales of the iPhone 6, followed by Samsung, Huawei, and LG. At the same time, newcomers Xiaomi and Coolpad from China are taking away some share from the top players. Report