Samsung Passes Nokia to Become World’s No. 1 Phone Maker

A continued drop in sales at Nokia allowed Samsung to grab the title of world’s No.1 seller of cellphones.

Nokia sold 83 million units, while Samsung sold 92 million phones, according to IHS iSuppli. That’s a reversal from last year’s fourth quarter, where Nokia shipped 113.5 million units, while Samsung shipped 97.6 million.

On the smartphone side, Apple retained its top spot, shipping 35 million iPhones, followed by Samsung, which sold 32 million smartphones.

“With cellphones now accounting for more than 40 percent of Samsung’s overall revenue, it’s clear that the company’s continued investments in smartphone hardware and software R&D are paying off,” IHS senior analyst Wayne Lam said in a statement.

“The company is not only cashing in on the market’s shift to smartphones, but is also succeeding in other cellphone product categories, allowing it to capture the overall market lead,” Lam said. “What makes Samsung’s performance even more impressive is that the company’s latest Galaxy S III handset has yet to be launched, with shipments set to start in May. This indicates Samsung is likely to make further progress in market share in 2012.”