Samsung and Apple are the leading Smartphone vendors by shipments in Q4 2012 and for the whole 2012, according to a report by Research Firm IDC (International Data Corporation). The worldwide mobile phone market grew 1.9% year-over-year in the Q4 2012 with shipments of 482.5 million, compared to 473.4 million units in the Q4 2011. The global mobile phone market s grew 1.2 percent in 2012.
Samsung has seen record number of shipments both in a single quarter and in a single year with 63.7 million smart phones shipped in Q4 2012, which is 76% more compared to Q4 2011. This is due to the new Galaxy smartphones in the quarter. The company has shipped 406 million mobile phones in 2012, compared to 330.9 in 2011.
Apple has also seen a tremendous improvement with 47.8 million unit shipments in Q4 2012, a 29.2% increase in the market share year-over-year. The company has shipped 136.8 million smart phones in 2012, compared to 93.1 million in 2011.
Huawei gained momentum in the last quarter with 10.8 million smartphone shipments with 89.5% increase in market share year-over year. It holds the third spot in the top 5 list of smartphone vendors, pushing RIM out of the top 5. Sony is right behind the Huawei with 9.8 million unit shipments and 4.5% market share, pushing ZTE to the 5th spot, and sending HTC out of top 5. Huawei is in the 5th spot in the mobile phone shipments in Q4 2012 with 13.7% increase in market share YoY.
Nokia is right behind the Samsung and Apple in the global smartphone shipments for 2012, but it has lost 54.6 market share by managing to ship just 35.1 million smartphones. Even HTC and RIM has lost their ground in the smartphone market in 2012. LG that held the 5th spot in 2011 is out of the top 5 in 2012.
LG had managed to ship just 55.9 million phones and lost 36.5% of market share compared to 2011. Nokia and ZTE has also seen a decline in mobile phone shipments in 2012.