Samsung Electronics surged past Apple in smartphone shipments in the third quarter, helped by the wide availability of its flagship Galaxy S II handset.
Samsung controlled 27.8 percent of the global market for smartphones, according to a recent study released by Strategy Analytics. Apple, meanwhile, had 17.1 percent of the market.
Samsung has seen a rapid ascent in the smartphone world thanks to its aggressive embrace of Google's Android smartphone platform. The company built upon the early success of its flagship Galaxy S smartphones with the Galaxy S II this year, which has seen even wider consumer adoption. In the U.S., Samsung customized versions for AT&T, T-Mobile USA, and Sprint Nextel.
"Samsung has demonstrated that it is possible, at least in the short term, to differentiate and grow by using the Android ecosystem," said Alex Spektor, an analyst at Strategy Analytics.
Samsung's share nearly quadruped from its year-earlier market share of 7.5 percent. Apple, meanwhile, saw only a slight uptick from 14.1 percent a year ago. Its share could rise again with the introduction of the iPhone 4S earlier this month.
