Samsung Galaxy S3 was best-selling smartphone in Q3

Samsung Galaxy S3 was best-selling smartphone in Q3

SAN FRANCISCO—Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.'s Galaxy S3 was the world's best-selling smartphone in the third quarter, displacing Apple Inc.'s iPhone 4S, according to a report by market research firm Strategy Analytics Inc.

Samsung sold 18 million Galaxy S3 handsets in the third quarter, while Apple sold 16.2 million iPhone 4S handsets, according to Strategy Analytics (Boston). Apple also sold 6 million iPhone 5 handsets for a combined total of 18.2 million iPhones, according to the firm.

Galaxy S3's position as the No. 1 selling smartphone worldwide may be short lived, however. Apple's iPhone 5 became available in late September. Despite being available for less than half of the third quarter, iPhone 5 was the third best selling handset in the quarter, according to Strategy Analytics.

Strategy Analytics also noted that many customers who might otherwise have purchased an iPhone 4S likely held off in anticipation of the iPhone 5 launch.

"We expect the new iPhone 5 to out-ship Samsung’s Galaxy S3 in the fourth quarter of 2012 and Apple should soon reclaim the title of the world's most popular smartphone model," said Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics, in a statement.



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