SAMSUNG has overtaken Nokia as the top mobile phone brand for 2012 and has opened up a decisive lead over Apple in the smartphone market, a research firm says.
This will mark the first time in 14 years that Finnish-based Nokia will not sit atop the global mobile phone business on an annual basis, according to IHS iSuppli.
Samsung is expected to account for 29 per cent of worldwide mobile phone shipments, up from 24 per cent in 2011, according to the IHS, which said Nokia's share dropped to 24 per cent from 30 per cent.
This will mark the first time the South Korean electronics giant will occupy the top on a yearly basis, IHS said.
Samsung has also extended its lead over Apple as the top maker of smartphones worldwide, the survey released today said.
Samsung will have 28 per cent of the market, up from 20 per cent in 2011, while Apple's share will rise in 2012 to to 20 per cent from 19 per cent.
"The competitive reality of the cellphone market in 2012 was 'live by the smartphone; die by the smartphone'," said Wayne Lam, senior analyst at IHS.
"Smartphones represent the fastest-growing segment of the cellphone market and will account for nearly half of all wireless handset shipments for all of 2012....Samsung's successes and Nokia's struggles in the cellphone market this year were determined entirely by the two companies' divergent fortunes in the smartphone sector."
IHS said global smartphone shipments were set to rise by 35.5 per cent this year, while overall mobile phone shipments will increase by just one per cent. This will propel 2012 smartphone penetration to 47 per cent, up from 35 per cent in 2011.
IHS noted that Samsung produced dozens of smartphone models every year addressing all segments of the market, from the high-end to the low-end.
Nokia is transitioning its smartphone line to the Windows operating system, resulting in declining shipments for the company.
Sales of Nokia's older Symbian-based phones have plunged, while its new Microsoft Windows-based handsets have been modest so far.
IHS said Samsung, which was in a tight battle in 2011 with Apple, had moved ahead decisively ahead of the California giant with a wide range of Android smartphone offerings, while Apple limited its smartphones to the premium iPhone line.
The report said BlackBerry maker Research in Motion would see its market share fall to five per cent in 2012, from 11 per cent in 2011
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