Samsung Q3 smartphone sales reach 88.4 million units, twice that of Apple

According to the latest research report released by Strategy Analytics on Monday, in the third quarter, global smartphone sales reached an all-time high. For the first time ever, global smartphone sales in a single quarter exceeded 250 million units, representing a year-on-year increase of 45%. In terms of global smartphone market share, Samsung surpassed all other phone manufacturers, including Apple.

"In this quarter, Samsung's smartphone sales were more than double that of Apple's," Neil Mawston, Executive Director of Strategy Analytics, said in a statement. "Despite weak sales of Samsung's flagship Galaxy S4, strong demand for new phablet models like the Note 3 and mass-market phones such as the Galaxy Y helped boost Samsung's sales."

In the third quarter of this year, Samsung's smartphone sales increased by 55% year-on-year, reaching a record high of 88.4 million units, capturing 35% of the market share. In comparison, Apple's iPhone sales grew by 26% year-on-year, reaching 33.8 million units. Apple's market share declined slightly, falling from 16% in the third quarter of last year to 13% in the third quarter of this year.

Although Apple does not lead in global smartphone sales, its profit announced on Monday still exceeded expectations, reaching $7.5 billion, which is reportedly mainly due to iPhone sales. Strategy Analytics expects Apple's global smartphone sales to see significant growth in the next quarter.

"Due to strong demand for the new iPhone 5S, we expect Apple to experience a major rebound in the fourth quarter of this year, regaining lost market share," Mawston said.

Global Smartphone Sales Rankings for the Third Quarter

Samsung and Apple took the top two spots in global smartphone sales rankings, while Huawei, LG, and Lenovo ranked third, fourth, and fifth respectively. This is the first time Huawei has entered the top three. In the third quarter of this year, Huawei's smartphone sales increased by 67% year-on-year, reaching 12.7 million units.

"Huawei captured 5% of the market share, becoming the world's third-largest smartphone supplier," Woody Oh, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said in a statement. "Huawei has shown strong momentum in its home market of China, but its performance in other major markets such as the U.S. and Europe is relatively weaker. If it really wants to challenge giants Samsung and Apple next year, it must actively expand into the U.S. and European markets."