Samsung still tops in US smartphone market; Apple takes second
Samsung snagged 36.1 percent of smartphone shipments in the second quarter, compared with 29.7 percent for Apple, new data from Counterpoint Research shows.
Samsung still can't be beat in the US smartphone market, according to new data from Counterpoint Research.
In the second quarter, Samsung accounted for 36.1 percent of US smartphone shipments, topping Apple's 29.7 percent, the research firm reported Wednesday. During the same period in 2013, Samsung tallied 33.9 percent of shipments and Apple held 25.9 percent
LG came in third place with 11 percent share in this year's second quarter.
That Apple and Samsung secure the top two spots is no surprise. The companies reign in the smartphone market and, according to Counterpoint, secured nearly two-thirds of US smartphone shipments last quarter.
Both Apple and Samsung are widely expected to announce new smartphones next month. Apple will reportedly unveil an iPhone 6, while Samsung is likely to announce the long-rumored Galaxy Prime. The devices are set to go head-to-head in the busy holiday-shopping season.
Samsung recently announced dipping demand for its flagship smartphones worldwide, forcing the company to increase its marketing budget around the world. Counterpoint reported that the Galaxy S5's sales volume in the US was actually 50 percent greater than last year's Galaxy S4, making the "US market the...lone bright spot for Samsung this quarter."
Apple was the leading smartphone brand at AT&T, but gave up the top spot at Verizon and Sprint to Samsung during the quarter.
In addition to the battle between Apple and Samsung, Counterpoint revealed that while US smartphone shipments were up just 2 percent year over year, they represented 90 percent of the handsets shipped during the period.