World's top 5 smartphone companies

Samsung Electronics sold a record 86 million smartphones in the fourth quarter of 2013 and widened its lead over Apple, reveals data from research firm Strategy Analytics.

Samsung took 29.6 per cent of the global smartphone market in the fourth quarter, whereas Apple held 17.6 per cent.

The quarter also witnessed Chinese companies growing at an unprecedented pace and shook up the smartphone industry.

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Apple sold a record 51 million iPhones in the year-end quarter although its market share slipped from the previous year's 22 per cent, as Huawei Technologies and Lenovo Group Ltd rose to become the world's No.3 and No.4 respectively.

Huawei sold 16.6 million smartphones and Lenovo sold 13.6 million, each taking 5.7 per cent and 4.7 percent of the market.

"There is clearly now more competition coming from the second-tier smartphone brands. Huawei, LG Electronics and Lenovo each grew their smartphone shipments around two times faster than the global industry average," Strategy Analytics analyst Linda Sui said.

"Samsung and Apple will need to fight hard to hold off these and other hungry challengers during 2014."

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Samsung

Rank: 1

Market share in Q4 in 2013: 29.6 per cent

Market share 2013: 32.3 per cent

Samsung continued its lead in the overall mobile phone market, selling 86 million handsets in October-December quarter.

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Apple

Rank: 2

Market share in Q4 in 2013: 17.6 per cent

Market share 2013: 15.5 per cent

In the last quarter, Apple sold 51 million devices where as the total sale for 2013 was 153.4 million.

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Huawei

Rank: 3

Market share in Q4 in 2013: 5.7 per cent

Market share 2013: 5.1 per cent

The Chinese manufacturer sold 50.4 million devices last year. In fourth quarter alone it shipped 16.6 million.

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LG

Rank: 4

Market share in Q4 in 2013: 4.5 per cent

Market share 2013: 4.8 per cent

Not far behind Huawei is LG that shipped a total of 47.6 million handsets last year.

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Lenovo

Rank: 5

Market share in Q4 in 2013: 4.7 per cent

Market share 2013: 4.6 per cent

Lenovo is soon catching up with other players shipping 45.5 million devices in 2013.