Apple Inc. Knocks Samsung From Top Spot In Phone Sales

Apple Inc.

gained the number-one world market share slot for smart phones first the first time during the fourth quarter, a research group said Tuesday. http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2996817 IPhones claimed a 20.4 percent market share in the recent period, up from 17.8 percent a year earlier and edging out Samsung Electronics Ltd.

from the top spot. Samsung's market share plunged to 19.9 percent recently from 29.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013. Until the recent fourth quarter, Samsung had held the top spot since 2011. But Samsung's share of the premium smartphone market "has come under significant pressure," according to Anshul Gupta, an analyst at Gartner Inc.,

which released the quarterly market data. Apple's increasing domination of the premium market and Chinese vendors' lower price points means that Samsung needs to stress unique content and services to secure loyal customers, Gartner's Robert Cozza said. Apple posted its strongest iPhone sales ever in the recent period, with sales in China and U.S., growing at 56 percent and 88 percent, respectively. Apple sold 74,832 iPhone units in the recent period, up 49 percent from a year earlier; Samsung sales fell more than 12 percent to 73,032 units. Lenovo Group Ltd.

boosted its sales more than 47 percent to 24,300 units in the fourth quarter, garnering a market share of 6.6 percent. Huawei Technology Co. Ltd. sales increased 31 percent to 21,038 units, while its market share was unchanged at 5.7 percent. Xiaomi sales more than doubled to 18,582 units while its market share jumped to 5.1 percent, from 2 percent a year earlier.