Samsung Spells Smartphone Success in Q2, But Apple’s iPhone 5 Still Looms

Samsung Galaxy S3, Tokyo launch

Samsung’s Galaxy has reportedly sold more than 6.5 million units since its launch six weeks back. The flagship handset from Korean manufacturer Samsung (005930:KS) is in high demand, and according to a Reuters report today, it could mean unprecedented quarterly numbers in mobile shipments for the company.

The report says that Samsung may have sold as many as 50 million smartphones in the quarter, led by the Galaxy S3 and its predecessor the Galaxy S2. In contrast, Apple is expected to sell 30.5 million iPhones, although the iPhone is late in its product cycle, and a dip before a refresh is to be expected. As you can see in the interactive chart below, the rise of both Apple and Samsung in the smartphone space has been pretty remarkable when compared to other prominent competitors [1].

In Japan the S3 went on sale on June 28, and since then has sold over 200,000 units according to local carrier Docomo (NYSE:DCM), with hopes to sell over a million this year.

Meanwhile in China, the company has targeted the entry-level smartphone market with a couple of low-cost handsets, following a market trend that is becoming ever more intriguing as more companies put forth budget smartphone offerings.

[Download image version of this chart]