Samsung may have decided to withhold its shipment figures for Q4, but Strategy Analytics still believes the Korean giant has lost its spot at the top of the smartphone table.
It's apparent slip has come at the hands of former king Apple, with the firm's Q4 shipment of 37 million iPhones pushing it ahead of what Strategy Analytics believes was the 36.5 million Samsung shipped to market.
The top two
"While Apple took the top spot in smartphones on a quarterly basis, Samsung became the market leader in annual terms for the first time with 20 percent global share during 2011," said executive director Neil Mawston.
"With global smartphone shipments nearing half a billion units in 2011, Samsung is now well positioned alongside Apple in a two-horse race at the forefront of one of the world's largest and most valuable consumer electronics markets."
Indeed, it was Apple that Samsung replaced to take top spot back in Q3, with the two firms likely to tussle it out for some time to come.
Samsung now holds 33.5 percent of the market to Apple's 33.9 percent.
Both firms helped drive record smartphone shipments of 155 million units across the quarter up 54 percent.
Knocking Nokia
But it wasn't good news for everybody.
"Nokia's global smartphone market share halved from 33 percent in 2010 to 16 percent in 2011," said director Tom Kang.
"A lackluster touchscreen smartphone portfolio and a limited presence in the huge United States market caused Nokia's shrinkage last year.
"Nokia's partnership with Microsoft will be very much in focus during 2012, and the industry will be watching closely to see how swiftly the two companies can expand in the high-value 4G LTE market that is rapidly emerging across the United States, Japan and elsewhere."
Nokia will no doubt be cheered by the news that Lumia shipments have already passed 1 million units since launch.
[source: Strategy Analytics]
Data & Research
With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.
Related Articles
News
Nov 30th, 2018
Analytics group believes Nintendo can claim control of the 2019 console market with the Switch
as
News
Aug 5th, 2016
Apple loses ground as Android swallows up 97% of India smartphone market in Q2 2016
Top Stories
News
2 hours, 40 minutes ago
PocketGamer.biz Week in Mobile Games E14 -Supercell's Squad Busters goes global and why Steam does discoverability better than mobile
News
May 31st, 2024
Week in Views - Squad Busters goes global, broken app stores, and Hill Climb Racing gets the LEGO treatment
News
May 31st, 2024
Mobile Movers: All the latest appointments and job moves from around the industry
Events
Indie Game Fest & Indie Campus 2024 | Europe | May 31st |
Indie Craft K-Game Festival 2024 | Europe | May 31st |
BostonFig Online 2024 | Jun 1st | |
GameSummit Summer 2024 | Jun 1st | |
Gotland Game Conference 2024 | Nordic | Jun 3rd |
Games Mental Health Summit 2024 | Europe | Jun 3rd |
Dev Play Conference 2024 | Europe | Jun 3rd |
Tribeca Games Festival 2024 | North America | Jun 5th |