Apple has overtaken Samsung as the world’s leading smartphone manufacturer. Research firm Gartner says Apple sold 1.8 million more phones than Samsung during Q4 2014. Apple sold 74.8 million iPhones, with Samsung shifting 73 million of their devices. Samsung had sold 83.3 million just a year earlier, with Apple lagging behind significantly, selling 50.2 million.
Gartner analyst Anshul Gupta said: “Samsung continues to struggle to control its falling smartphone share, which was at its highest in the third quarter of 2013.”
Lenovo sold 24.3 million during the same period, with Huawei selling 21 million and Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi reached 18.5 million. Samsung is hoping to reverse the decline in its fortunes via its new Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge devices, which were recently unveiled at the Mobile World Congress and are due to go on sale in April.
Recent reports suggested that the new curved Samsung models could cost over $1,000. The new devices will come with features including 4GB of RAM, up to 20MP camera and Bluetooth Smart. The S5 was the fastest-selling smartphone in Samsung’s history, despite their reduced share of the smartphone market. The phones will feature an innovative glass-and-metal body.
