Samsung Electronics is now the largest supplier of smartphones, topping Apple's iPhones for the first time, according to IHS iSuppli.
Samsung in the third quarter shipped an estimated 27.30 million smartphones, up 43.7% on the second quarter. Apple’s shipments declined to 17.1 million iPhones, down 15.9% on the second quarter.
“Samsung has been coming on strong in the global smartphone market in 2011 because of its broad portfolio of products, especially at the high end with its new Galaxy S II line,” said Wayne Lam, senior analyst, wireless communications at IHS.
"Apple suffered a sales decline in the third quarter as buyers delayed purchasing iPhones until the new 4S model became available in the fourth quarter," said Lam.
But Apple's sales are back on track now with the iPhone 4S shipping in volume. "A sales spike in the fourth quarter that is expected to put it in a neck-and-neck battle for smartphone leadership with Samsung,” said Lam.
Samsung’s share of the market in the third quarter rose to 23.2%. Apple’s share declined to 14.6%.
Apple’s third-quarter shipment decline spurred pessimism among some observers about the company’s smartphone sales outlook for the year. However, IHS ibelieves there is no cause for gloom regarding Apple’s iPhone sales expectations in 2011.
“The third-quarter decline in iPhone shipments follows a normal pattern for Apple, wherein its results were depressed during the period immediately preceding the release of a new model,” Lam said. “This weakness is always followed by a major surge, as consumers scoop up the latest the model. Apple’s shipment pattern is strongly evident in the fourth quarter, with the company selling a phenomenal 4 million iPhone 4S smartphones during their first weekend of availability.”
iPhone shipments across all models are expected to swell to about 30 million units in the fourth quarter, up 75% from the third quarter.
www.isuppli.com
