New smartphone leader Samsung lands a blow for Android

Korean vendor crowns stellar FY11 by toppling Apple in the sales rankings after just one quarter

Samsung has been crowned the world's leading smartphone vendor after a stellar year in which its shipments nigh on quadrupled.

Figures from research house Strategy Analytics find that global smartphone shipments in 2011's third quarter rose 44.4 per cent year on year to 117 million. New market leader Samsung contributed 23.8 per cent of these, shifting 27.8 million units.

A year ago the Korean vendor's quarterly shipments stood at just 7.5 million, and it held just 9.3 per cent of the global market. The huge popularity of its Galaxy S range of smartphones has helped it ascend the rankings swiftly.

After just one quarter occupying the top spot, Apple drops to second, with 14.7 per cent of the market. It shipped more than 10.6 million fewer units than the new number one.

Embattled Nokia's miserable year continues, as it remains in the bronze-medal position. A year ago the Finnish mobile monolith held almost a third of the market. Its share has now been more than cut in half, to just 14.4 per cent. The vendor's Q3 shipments slumped 36.6 per cent year on year to 16.8 million.

Alex Spektor, senior analyst at Strategy Analytics, said: "Samsung's rise has been driven by a blend of elegant hardware designs, popular Android services, memorable sub-brands and extensive global distribution. Samsung has demonstrated that it is possible, at least in the short term, to differentiate and grow by using the Android ecosystem."

Neil Mawston, director of the analyst, added: "We believe Apple's growth during the third quarter was affected by consumers and operators awaiting the launch of the new iPhone 4S in the fourth quarter; volatile economic conditions in several key countries; and tougher competition from Samsung's popular Galaxy S2 model."