The South Korean powerhouse, according to Reuters, is still the world's number 1 smartphone maker. And, even if I do not have any statistics to support what I am to say right now, is still the world's number 1 mobile phone maker. Aha moment, isn't it? Both Samsung and Apple have released their Q4 2012 results while Samsung only posted their Q3 2012 results which leaves more room for the numbers from both the Galaxy Note II and the Galaxy S III's sales.
While these results are posted it is only by this time that the Galaxy S III and the Note II are truly making their way through the US market, later than when Apple announced the iPhone 5. Samsung shipped 56.3 million smartphones in Q3 while Apple shipped 26.9 million iPhones. Of course that still does not include iPhone 5 shipments but that is a topic better talked about when Q1 in 2013 comes.
The cooler thing here is that Samsung retains the title as the world's largest smartphone and mobile phone maker leaving the pack behind. With great sales and acceptance of both the Galaxy S III and the Note II, Samsung is bound to be on that spot for a bit longer than just 3 quarters plus Q3 of 2012 of course.
So, basically Samsung shipped twice more smartphones than the all time favorite brand did. And that is being supported by ABI Research.
As for the money of it all, Apple posted an $8.2 billion net profit (Q4 2012) while Samsung posted a $7.4 billion dollar profit.
It is still vivid in my memory back in the time when Samsung was a brand that nobody liked and loved. The time when the brand did not even, at least as far as I know, existed in the smartphone business. Everybody was laughing back then. Who's laughing now?
Just to end this post, Samsung's quarterly revenue is equal around one-fifth of South Korea's GDP (Reuters said that)! Beat that! :D
