Apple, Samsung lead smart phone sales

Apple and Samsung have passed Nokia in smart-phone shipments.

Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. both surpassed Nokia Oyj in smart-phone shipments for the first time last quarter as the Finnish company sold fewer units from its aging Symbian product lines.

Apple accounted for 18.5 percent of global smart-phone shipments in the second quarter, compared with 13.5 percent a year earlier, Strategy Analytics said Friday. Nokia dropped to third place, falling behind Samsung after its market share shrank to 15.2 percent from 38.1 percent, the analysts said.

Nokia remains the biggest handset producer overall, even though its market share has fallen to the lowest level since 1999, Strategy Analytics said. The stock is down 47 percent this year, reflecting Nokia’s difficulties in competing with the iPhone and handsets using Google Inc.’s software. Apple, which posted a record profit last quarter, has jumped 21 percent.

“This shift in market share has been going on since the introduction of the iPhone, and Nokia has been unable to find an answer,” said Leon Cappaert at KBC Asset Management in Brussels. “Component availability seems to be easing and the second half will be very good for iPhones and iPads.”

Global handset shipments grew 13 percent to 361 million units last quarter, led by 76 percent growth in smart phones, which are more advanced handsets with computerlike capabilities for running applications and playing media, Strategy Analytics said. Sales of smart phones totaled 110 million units.