Samsung has displaced smartphone leader Apple, as well as handset giant Nokia to take the number one spot for the first time in the smartphone market in the last quarter, according to Strategy Analytics.

 

 

 

Samsung is estimated to have sold between 18 million and 21 million smartphones globally in the April-June quarter, as compared with 16.7 million for Nokia, and 20.3 million iPhones,” said Neil Mawston, analyst at Strategy Analytics.

 

 

 

In the last quarter, Nokia smartphone shares dropped from 39 percent to 24 percent globally, while Apple made a 19 percent market share gain.

 

 

 

Mawston said in a statement to a popular news agency, “Samsung’s Android portfolio is selling strongly in most regions, and Samsung stands a reasonable chance of capturing the top spot on a quarterly basis if it can continue expanding its Android portfolio across high-growth markets like China and Brazil. Samsung and Apple  will be at similar levels in smartphones by the end of the year.”

 

 

 

Samsung’s Galaxy S II  Android handset has doubled the company’s operating profits this quarter. Earlier this month, the Korean handset company said that the Galaxy S II had sold 3 million units globally.

 

 

 

In India, Samsung is expecting smartphones to contribute 15 per cent to its sales volume by 2011-end, up from the current10 per cent. The handset manufacturer is also looking to double sales of its higher-end smartphones globally in the next few months.

 

 

 

By Beryl M
[email protected]