Apple reclaims No.1 smartphone spot in Q4

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Apple is once again the top smartphone vendor in the world by shipment volume according to a report released late Thursday. Market research firm Strategy Analytics noted that total fourth-quarter smartphone shipments grew 54% year-over-year in 2011 to hit 155 million units. After <a href="http://www.bgr.com/2011/10/28/samsung-blows-past-apple-to-take-no-1-smartphone-spot-in-q3/">losing the No.1 spot to Samsung in the third quarter last year</a>, Apple once again shipped more smartphones than any other company in the December quarter, earning it 24% of the global market. Read on for more.<span id="more-124478"></span>

Apple shipped 37 million smartphones last quarter, narrowly edged Samsung out of the top spot. According to Strategy Analytics’s estimates, the South Korea-based consumer electronics giant sold 36.5 million smartphones into distribution channels during its <a href="http://www.bgr.com/2012/01/26/samsung-makes-q4-official-record-4-7-billion-profit-on-42-billion-in-revenue/">huge fourth quarter</a>, representing a 20% share of the global smartphone market.

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“Global smartphone shipments grew 54 percent annually to reach a record 155.0 million units in Q4 2011,” Strategy Analytics analyst Alex Spektor said in a statement. “Apple overtook Samsung to become the world’s largest smartphone vendor by volume with 24 percent market share. Apple’s global smartphone shipments surged 128 percent annually to 37.0 million units, as distribution of the iPhone family expanded across numerous countries, dozens of operators and multiple price points.”

Despite a <a href="http://www.bgr.com/2012/01/26/nokia-reports-huge-e1-billion-q4-loss-says-over-1-million-lumia-phones-sold/">rough quarter</a>, Strategy Analytics noted that Nokia was the No.3 smartphone vendor in the fourth quarter last year, managing worldwide smartphone shipments that totaled 19.6 million units. The firm’s full press release follows below.

<blockquote>

<p align="left">Strategy Analytics: Apple Becomes World’s Largest Smartphone Vendor in Q4 2011

Boston, MA – January 26, 2012 – According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global smartphone shipments grew 54 percent annually to reach a record 155 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011. Apple reclaimed top position as the world’s number one smartphone vendor during the quarter.

Alex Spektor, Associate Director at Strategy Analytics, said, “Global smartphone shipments grew 54 percent annually to reach a record 155.0 million units in Q4 2011. Apple overtook Samsung to become the world’s largest smartphone vendor by volume with 24 percent market share. Apple’s global smartphone shipments surged 128 percent annually to 37.0 million units, as distribution of the iPhone family expanded across numerous countries, dozens of operators and multiple price points.”

Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “While Apple took the top spot in smartphones on a quarterly basis, Samsung became the market leader in annual terms for the first time with 20 percent global share during 2011. With global smartphone shipments nearing half a billion units in 2011, Samsung is now well positioned alongside Apple in a two-horse race at the forefront of one of the world’s largest and most valuable consumer electronics markets.”

Tom Kang, Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “Nokia’s global smartphone market share halved from 33 percent in 2010 to 16 percent in 2011. A lackluster touchscreen smartphone portfolio and a limited presence in the huge United States market caused Nokia’s shrinkage last year. Nokia’s partnership with Microsoft will be very much in focus during 2012, and the industry will be watching closely to see how swiftly the two companies can expand in the high-value 4G LTE market that is rapidly emerging across the United States, Japan and elsewhere.”

<p align="center">Exhibit 1: Global Smartphone Vendor Shipments and Market Share in Q4 2011

[<em>See chart above</em>]

The full report, <em>Apple Becomes World’s No.1 Smartphone Vendor in Q4 2011</em>, is published by the Strategy Analytics Wireless Smartphone Strategies (WSS) service, details of which can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/64cqrpr. </blockquote>

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Via BRG - Boy Genius Report