Samsung ‘smart device’ shipments surged by an astonishing 119% in 2012
In case you needed any more evidence that 2012 was the Year of Samsung (005930), consider the latest research from IDC showing that shipments of Samsung ”smart devices” — which IDC defines as smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop computers — totaled 250 million units in 2012, an increase of over 119% from the 114 million devices the company shipped in 2011. This impressive growth vaulted Samsung ahead of Apple (AAPL) — which shipped an estimated 219 million smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktops on the year — and made the South Korean electronics manufacturer the world’s leader in smart device shipments.
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However, IDC analyst Bob O’Donnell says that the release of the iPhone 5 and the iPad mini helped Apple gain some momentum back in the fourth quarter of 2012, so it’s possible that the two companies could again seesaw in 2013.
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“The fourth quarter market share numbers showed a fairly dramatic resurgence for Apple,” he explains. “After falling well behind Samsung early in 2012, Apple came roaring back in final quarter of the year thanks to its latest hits — the iPhone 5 and the iPad Mini — and reduced the market share gap to less than a single percentage point. The question moving forward will be whether or not Apple can maintain its hit parade against the juggernaut of Samsung.”
This article was originally published on BGR.com
