Best Seller in America

 

Samsung Electronics snatched the top spot from Apple in the North American handset market. LG Electronics' market share also surged to record highs, which placed the company in third place.

According to research firm Strategy Analytics on August 6, Samsung made up 36.2 percent of the North American smartphone market in the second quarter of this year, nabbing the top spot.

Samsung's share in Q2 is the highest-ever since its penetration into the U.S. smartphone market.

Apple, on the other hand, only represented 27.9 percent of the total over the same period, a 4.4 percent year-on-year reduction, and down 9.4 percent from Q1.

The Korean tech giant has been enjoying a three-year reign as the world's #1 smartphone maker since Q3 2011, but it has been unable to destroy Apple's stronghold in the North American market, apart from Q2 to Q3, 2013.

However, experts are saying that the sale of the Galaxy S5 in the North American market in Q2, 2014 caused a change in market dynamics. In contrast, the tendency that users delayed their purchase of new iPhones because of the release of the iPhone 6 in Q3 apparently contributed to Apple's poor performance.

Meanwhile, LG achieved its highest-ever quarterly figures for sales in the North American market during the period, comprising 11.9 percent of the total, and increasing its presence in the U.S. market where premium smartphones are hugely popular.

The two Korean Android device manufacturers constituted 48.1 percent of the total in Q2. Only Samsung, Apple, and LG grabbed a double-digit market share.

What is noticeable is that ZTE was the only Chinese firm that entered the top 10. It ranked fourth place, capturing 6.1 percent of the North American smartphone market. Additionally, Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC ranked 7th with a 3 percent share.

This phenomenon is attributable to the fact that Chinese handset makers such as Xiaomi Tech, Lenovo, and Huawei focus on selling their products in the local market.

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