LONDON: Apple has become the second largest provider of smartphones with its iPhone outselling BlackBerry, say analysts.
Market data company Canalys has found that more than 39.9 million smartphones were shipped around the world in the July-September period, which
represented a 28 per cent increase.
The company said that Apple's share of the global smartphone market was found to be 17 per cent on the back of the 6.9 million pieces sold,
putting it in second place behind Nokia whose market share was 18.9 percent.
The growth in Apple's sales was attributed to the launch of iPhone 3G in July, as well as to the company's market expansion to more countries
outside the US.
BlackBerry recorded sales of 6.1 million, acquiring a 15.3 per cent share in the smartphone market during the same period.
Windows Mobile was found to have 13.5 per cent of the smartphone market, and Symbian 46.6 per cent.
"It was expected that Apple would figure among the smartphone leaders this quarter, with that huge initial new product shipment, it was just a
question of how high up it would be and this is impressive," the Telegraph quoted Pete Cunningham, senior analyst at Canalys, as saying.
However, retailers are of the opinion that BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) may make Apple face greater competition when it introduces
a new 'Bold' and 'Storm' model this month.
