Samsung cements top spot in N. American handset market

By Lee Youkyung
SEOUL, Nov. 9 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. widened its lead over rivals in
the North American mobile phone market in the third quarter, helped by the
popularity of its key models, a market researcher said Monday.
According to U.S.-based Strategy Analytics (SA), Samsung sold 12.1 million
handsets in the July-September period, garnering a 25.6 percent share of the
North American market. The figure was up 0.9 percentage point from three months
earlier.
Samsung, the world's second-largest handset maker after Nokia, was the top seller
in the North American market for five quarters running. Samsung's sales also
topped the 12 million mark for the first time.
LG Electronics Inc., the world's No. 3 mobile phone maker, sold 9.8 million units
in North America in the third quarter, down 900,000 units from the previous
quarter. LG's market share declined 1.9 percentage points to 20.7 percent.
Motorola Inc. shipped 7.9 million handsets, with its market share dropping 0.6
percentage point to 16.7 percent.
Research In Motion (RIM), the Canadian maker of the smartphone BlackBerry, sold
5.8 million units, with its market share unchanged at 12.2 percent.
Apple Inc. shipped 3.5 million units in the third quarter, with its market share
soaring 1.5 percentage points to 7.4 percent on the back of its flagship iPhone,
according to SA.
Market watchers predict that Samsung is expected to clinch the top spot in the
North American market this year for the first time since its entry there in 1997.
Last year, Motorola was the No. 1 seller of mobile handsets in the North American
market with a 22.1 percent share, trailed by Samsung with 21.7 percent and LG
with 20.9 percent.
ylee@yna.co.kr
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