Samsung leapfrogs Apple in smartphone wars

Samsung has overtaken Apple as the number one smartphone shipper on the planet, figures have shown.

The South Korean vendor has been making solid gains in the smartphone market and was expected to be number one by many analysts.

Statistics from Strategy Analytics showed Samsung held 23.8 per cent of the market, compared to Apple's 14.6 per cent.

The Galaxy S II maker shipped 27.8 million smartphones in the last quarter, whilst Apple pushed out 17.1 million.

Apple has lost ground due to Samsung's wider lineup of products, which have been gaining plenty of supporters after positive reviews.

It's clear that both manufacturing giants have very different tactics in the mobile market.

Other Android partners have not been able to challenge the iPhone maker, which recently launched the latest iteration of its flagship device, the 4S.

"The stats are not surprising. Apple only has a few handset models competing in the smartphone arena and Samsung has emerged as a market leader with its best-selling Galaxy S II," said Ernest Doku, tech expert at uSwitch.com.

"A powerful combination of heavy advertising and a smartphone that hits consumer expectation in terms of price and functionality has reinforced the perception that an Android phone like the Galaxy S II can be more than a match for the iPhone. It's clear that both manufacturing giants have very different tactics in the mobile market. Samsung's handsets span the entire range of price points, whilst the iPhone is restricted to a few premium models, which people are still prepared to pay for."

Apple and Samsung are embroiled in a number of lawsuits against one another as they seek to protect their patents from their chief rival.

The two are fighting it out in the tablet space too, but Apple is winning that race by some distance with the iPad.