Apple becomes top smartphone vendor as Nokia slips again

IPhone is the world's best-selling brand, reports IDC

Apple and Samsung have overtaken Nokia to claim the top two spots in the global smartphone market.

Research firm IDC said in its latest quarterly outlook that the iPhone maker now owns a 19.1 per cent share of all smartphone shipments. Apple is estimated to have shipped 20.3 million units in the quarter.

Apple's ascent came as little surprise, and IDC believes that iPhone sales will continue to climb thoughout the remainder of the year.

"Ever since the first iPhone launched in 2007, Apple has made market-setting strides in hardware, software and channel development to grab mind share and market share," said IDC senior research analyst Ramon Llamas.

"Demand has been so strong that even models that have been out for one or two years are still being sought out."

Samsung claimed the second spot on the list, shipping an estimated 17.3 million units in the quarter.

However, Nokia's market share fell by some 30 per cent over the previous year's quarter with shipments of 16.7 million units.

The struggling vendor has fallen behind in emerging markets such as China, and reported a loss of €487m (£423m) in its most recent quarter.

Rounding out the top five were RIM with 11.6 per cent market share and HTC with 11 per cent.