Samsung sold 56.3 million smartphones in Q3 2012

South Korea-based mobile phone manufacturer, Samsung Electronics has shipped more units of smartphones than its rival Apple, in the third quarter of 2012, as per latest figures released by research firm IDC.

Samsung sold 56.3 million smartphones, including the Galaxy S III, in the period between July and September, amassing a share of 31.3 percent of the global market. Apple's sales, in stark comparison, accounted for 15 percent - less than half of Samsung's. Canada-based, Research in Motion (RIM) with its popular line of smartphones, BlackBerry, is at the third position with a global share of 4.3 percent, while China-based, ZTE came fourth with a global share of 4.2 percent. HTC came fifth with a global share of 4 percent.

This information comes close on the heels of Samsung's announcement that its July-September net profit nearly doubled to 6.56 trillion won ($5.97 billion) from 3.44 trillion won a year earlier. Samsung added that its revenue for the third quarter jumped 26 percent to 52.2 trillion won. As per reports, Samsung is estimated to have shipped roughly 18 million units of the Galaxy S III in the period, in comparison with the 26.9 million units of the iPhone shipped by Apple. 

S III sales propel Samsung's jump

Apple that finished second unwrapped the iPhone 5 last month. November 2 is when the premium phone will set foot on Indian shores. Apple may not sell its current flagship smartphone in India through channels used previously, such as partnerships with Aircel and Airtel. A recent report by Wall Street Journal states that in order to expand its user base in India, Apple will start selling the iPhone 5 through specialised distribution companies.

Here is a quick look at the highlighted features of the iPhone 5:

• 4-inch, 326ppi Retina display at 1136 x 640 pixels,
• GPRS, EDGE, EV-DO, HSPA, HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, LTE and Wi-Fi
• GPS
• Bluetooth
• 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD recording, 720p front-facing camera
• 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB versions

There is wide speculation that Apple will release the iPhone 5 in India by the end of this month.

Made entirely out of aluminium and glass, the iPhone 5 weighs 112 grams, and is 20 percent lighter than the iPhone 4S, and is the thinnest iPhone yet at 7.6mm. Apple has chosen to debut iOS 6 with the iPhone 5. The new OS includes Apple's own Maps app, an updated version of Siri and lots more. Overall, the new iPhone has been upgraded in almost all respects.

A recent report indicated that the pre-orders for the iPhone 5 will begin soon through official Apple resellers. As of yet, the exact price of the iPhone 5 is not known but it is believed to be similar to that of the iPhone 4S when it first launched in the market.

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