As smartphone sales stall, Samsung surges while Apple slumps

The ongoing rivalry between Samsung and Apple seems to have taken its latest dramatic turn of recent months, as the South Korean giant today reported strong sales of its smartphones.

One day after Apple reported that iPhone sales fell 15 percent last quarter, Samsung reported preliminary results that indicate its operating profits in the latest quarter would hit a two-year high, thanks to a strong performance from its mobile division.

While Samsung won’t release full results — including the precise number of phones sold– until later this month, a report today from Strategy Analytics seems to confirm the different directions Apple and Samsung are heading.

According to Strategy Analytics’ data, Samsung shipped 77.6 million smartphones in the second quarter, up 8 percent from 71.9 million one year ago.

That allowed Samsung to grow its global market share to 23 percent, from 21 percent, while Apple’s share dipped from 14 percent to 12 percent.

“Apple continues to face iPhone fatigue among consumers, and the new iPhone SE model has not been able to stem that trend,” the report says.

Overall, global smartphone shipments only rose 1 percent in the latest quarter — to 340 million — compared to the same period a year ago. In general, the report notes, Apple continues to lose market share to lower-cost devices from less profitable smartphone makers.