Subscribe

Samsung overtakes Nokia, Apple

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 30 Apr 2012

Korean handset manufacturer Samsung is predicted to have outsold Nokia, which was previously the world's largest cellphone manufacturer.

According to research house Frost & Sullivan, Samsung's first quarter results, released on Friday, indicate its focus on the smartphone market seems to have paid off.

Samsung reported a first quarter profit of 5.05 trillion won ($4.45 billion), up 82% from the previous year's 2.78 trillion won. Sales were up 82% to 45.27 trillion won.

Although Samsung do not release the exact figure of units sold per category, it is estimated that 93 million mobile phones were sold, compared to the 83 million sold by Nokia, says Frost & Sullivan.

Frost & Sullivan says it is also predicted that Samsung may have outsold the iPhone in the lucrative smartphone market. With Samsung set to release their next version of the popular Galaxy S phone, in the next month, its record is expected to continue, says the research firm.

“Samsung is expected to continue [its] market domination of the mobile phone market, as the shipment of the Galaxy range continues to yield high returns”, says Frost & Sullivan's team leader for ICT Africa, Ian Duvenage.

“Significant growth is also expected in China, Central and South America, the Middle East and Africa. Samsung recently showed off some of the products specifically designed for Africa, purposely built to deal with the environmental conditions, like the inconsistent power supply experienced in country. In so doing, they are placing high focus on the growth in Africa and serving the needs of clients on the continent.”

Share