Apple just beat Samsung as the world's top smartphone maker

Apple is again on prime. 

In line with a new report by analysis agency Technique Analytics, the corporate bought extra smartphones than some other firm within the fourth quarter of 2016, together with its largest rival, Samsung. 

Apple reported promoting 78.three million iPhones within the final quarter of 2016, whereas Samsung bought "simply" 77.5 million telephones. (Totally different corporations use totally different monetary calendars, which is why Apple considers the identical interval the primary quarter of 2017.)

The explanations for this are twofold: Apple had an amazing quarter, and Samsung's quarter was shoddy as the corporate needed to discontinue its flagship telephone, the Galaxy Note7, following quite a few stories of its battery overheating and bursting into flames. 

On a yearly foundation, Samsung nonetheless leads by a big margin, having bought a complete of 309.four million telephones in 2016, in comparison with Apple's 215.four million models bought. In fact, Samsung sells many extra smartphone fashions than Apple, and many various worth factors, whereas Apple sells simply three totally different variants of the iPhone (together with some older fashions), and all are thought-about "excessive finish" telephones.

Third on the record was Huawei, which additionally had a fantastic quarter, adopted by Oppo and Vivo. 

When it comes to market share, if we solely take a look at the final quarter of 2016, Apple is as soon as once more on prime, with 17.eight%, adopted by Samsung with 17.eight% and Huawei with 10.2%. On a yearly foundation, Samsung is within the first place with 20.eight%, adopted by Apple with 14.5% and Huawei with 9.three%. Oppo and Vivo spherical up the record with 5.7% and four.eight%, respectively, whereas all different distributors accounted for 44.9% of the market. 

Samsung's telephone gross sales are doubtless to enhance after the corporate launches its new flagship, the Galaxy S8. That'll occur later than anticipated, although, as Samsung lately said it will not launch the telephone on the Cellular World Congress in February.