Samsung Electronics has defended in the second quarter the position of world leader in the mobile phone market, managing to sell over 90 million units and to expand its market share, according to figures released Tuesday by research firm Gartner. Samsung has sold 90.43 million mobile phones in the second quarter, with a market share of 21.6% versus 20.7% in the first three months of the year, and 16.3% market share in the corresponding period of 2011.
South Korean company’s results were supported mainly by the Galaxy smartphones with Android operating system, mainly due to the launch of Galaxy S III earlier this summer. The research firm estimates that smartphones now represent over half the sales of Samsung mobile devices such as laptops or tablets.
Samsung has taken in the first quarter of this year the position of world leader among mobile phone manufacturers, after 14 years of Nokia domination. In the last three months of last year, the South Korean company became the largest manufacturer of smartphones.
Nokia’s market share rose to 19.9% in the second quarter from 19.8% in the first three months but dropped from 22.8% in April-June 2011. Finnish group relies on the Lumia smartphones with Microsoft Windows Phone operating system to return to fight with Samsung and Apple in the premium segment of the market.
Apple’s market share, selling only one model of phone, iPhone, rose to 6.9% in the second quarter from 4.6% in the corresponding period last year. However, demand for iPhone dropped in the first three months of the year, as customers are waiting for the iPhone5 launch, the sixth model of the family of smartphones, most likely available this fall.
The total sales of mobile devices sold in the second quarter decreased by 2.3% over the same period in 2011, to 419 million units, reflecting the difficult economic conditions and delaying purchases by customers waiting for major product launches in the second half of the year.
Smartphone market grew by 43% in the period, from 154 million units. Phones with Google Android operating system represent 64% of smartphone sales, versus 43% last year, while Apple has expanded its footprint from 18.2% to 18.8%. The presence of Microsoft on the smartphone market has doubled since the second quarter of 2011, but Windows Phone is still in the shadow of Android and iOS, with a market share of only 2.7%.
Gartner data is based on the phone shipment figures to clients, not on the quantities distributed by manufacturers.
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