HispanicBusiness

A latest research released on Thursday shows that Samsung's Galaxy S III beat Apple's iPhone 4S in the third quarter of 2012, becoming the world's best-selling smartphone for the first time.

According to market research company Strategy Analytics, Samsung shipped 18 million units of Galaxy S III worldwide in the third quarter with a global market share of 10.7 percent. Apple shipped an estimated 16.2 million units of iPhone 4S, accounting for 9.7 percent of global smartphone market share.

In the third quarter, as consumers temporarily postponed purchases in anticipation of Apple's new generation of iPhone 5 which went on sale on Sept. 21, Galaxy S III's large touch screen, extensive distribution and generous operator subsidies have propelled the Samsung smartphone to the top spot in the market, said the research.

However, Samsung's top position is expected to be temporary. " The Apple iPhone 5 has gotten off to a solid start already with an estimated six million units shipped globally during Q3 2012," Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics, said in a statement.

Mawston expects the new iPhone 5 to out-ship Samsung's Galaxy S III in the fourth quarter of 2012, saying that Apple should soon reclaim the title of the world's most popular smartphone model.

Featuring a large 4.8 inch touch screen, the Galaxy S III, along with other smartphones of the Galaxy line, were credited for Samsung's record operating profit in the third quarter of 7.39 billion U.S. dollars which increased by 91 percent over the same period last year.