Samsung Ends Nokia’s 14-Year Run as Biggest Handset Maker

[Lanek]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-0...ne-vendor.html

Samung overtook Nokia Oyj as the world’s biggest vendor of mobile phones for the first time, ending the Finnish company’s 14-year run as the global leader, according to an industry study.

Samsung shipped 93.5 million handsets in the first quarter, 36 percent more than a year earlier, compared with 82.7 million for second-ranked Nokia, researcher Strategy Analytics said in a statement today. Demand for Galaxy smartphones helped Suwon, South Korea-based Samsung post first-quarter net income today of 5.05 trillion won ($4.5 billion), beating analysts’ estimates.

“Samsung will probably still be No. 1 in the second quarter, but the full year will be a close call because the third and fourth quarters are traditionally Nokia’s best,” Kang said.

Samsung also regained the lead from Apple as the world’s biggest vendor of smartphones in the first quarter. Smartphone shipments surged 41 percent in the quarter, the analysts said.

The South Korean electronics maker shipped 44.5 million smartphones in the first three months of the year, giving it about 31 percent of the market, Strategy Analytics said. Apple shipped 35.1 million units, accounting for about 24 percent of the market, it said. Nokia ranked third in the segment.

.....................

This story is not really so new, as the result on the end of the year, was allready placing Samsung over Apple in term of branded smartphone sell.

I can note too, the Smartphone are the bigger part of handset sold by Samsung ( 44.5millions on Q1 2012, so 253% more of Q1 2011 ), and taking in account the they have still not release their 2012 series, i think this is a good start for Samsung this year ).