Samsung Galaxy S3 is Top-Selling Smartphone in U.S. in Aug.

  • 20 million units of Samsung Galaxy S III sold in August
  • First time for Samsung to take lead in sale of smartphone
  • iPhone5 launch may be biggest for Apple 
Samsung has reported Thursday that sales of its high-end Galaxy S3 handset in August spiked to 20 million, twice the 10 million units sold in July and

  • 20 million units of Samsung Galaxy S III sold in August
  • First time for Samsung to take lead in sale of smartphone
  • iPhone5 launch may be biggest for Apple 
Samsung has reported Thursday that sales of its high-end Galaxy S3 handset in August spiked to 20 million, twice the 10 million units sold in July and just a hundred days after the smartphone was unwrapped in May.
 
By region, the Galaxy S III was very popular in Europe with 6 million units sold, followed by Asia where total number of the model sold reached 4.5 million. North America came next with 4 million units sold and Korea, Samsung’s home country, with 2.5 million. 
 
Samsung attributed the substantial pre-order figures for boosting sales. The sales rate of the Galaxy S III was three times as fast as the Galaxy S II, and six times as fast as the Galaxy S.  Both the Galaxy S II and the original Galaxy S has sold a combined 50 million units since mid-2010. 
 
A research conducted by Canaccord Genuity’s Michael Walkley and published by CNET.com took note of Samsung’s emergence as the top-selling high-end device in the U.S. to unseat the dominance of iPhone 4S for the first time.
 
It was Samsung’s turn to wear the crown as the best-selling smartphone in the U.S. last August, a position held by Apple after unveiling iPhone 4S in October 2011. 
 
With this record performance, the Korean electronics giant’s position was solidified in the smartphone market space. According to Walkley, the sales figure that Galaxy S III showed the strong lead against other branded models made by Nokia, HTC, and Research in Motion.  
 
But some observers account this to be temporary as Apple consumers are holding back their purchases of new devices until the Cupertino-based company announces its new iPhone 5 come September 12.
 
Both Samsung and Apple are in an almost never-ending courtroom patent strife across the U.S., Australia, Asia and Europe.  
 
Late last month, Samsung introduced in IFA in Berlin its new Windows Phone 8 powered ATIV range of smartphones, to steal some PR thunder before the announcement by Apple of its sixth-generation iPhone.