117 million smartphones were shipped in Q3 2011, with rival Apple contributing 17 million of those, giving it 15 percent of the share.
In the same period in 2010, Samsung had managed to take 9 percent of the market share by shipping 8 million units, compared to Apple's 17 percent share through 14 million units.
Galaxy sales drive success
"Samsung's rise has been driven by a blend of elegant hardware designs, popular Android services, memorable sub-brands and extensive global distribution," said Alex Spektor, senior analyst at Strategy Analytics.
"Samsung has demonstrated that it is possible, at least in the short term, to differentiate and grow by using the Android ecosystem."
Director at Strategy Analytics Neil Mawston outlines some of the perceived reasons for Samsung's quarterly success.
"We believe Apple's growth during the third quarter was affected by consumers and operators awaiting the launch of the new iPhone 4S in the fourth quarter, volatile economic conditions in several key countries, and tougher competition from Samsung's popular Galaxy S2 model."
Strong sales of Galaxy devices were also highlighted in Samsung's own financial report for the quarter, with reports also showing that shipments of the Galaxy SII have surpassed 10 million since launch.
[source: Market Watch]
