Samsung’s leaving Apple in its dust with strong Galaxy S III sales, say analysts

While the smartphone sales battle between Samsung and Apple has been a close one, Samsung may finally have gotten the upper hand.

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That’s the story according to a recent Reuters poll, which asked over three dozen analysts which company they thought came out on top during the second quarter.

For most of them, the answer was Samsung, which is estimated to have moved 50 million phones in the past three months. Apple, in comparison, is projected to have moved just 30.2 million.

Much of Samsung’s success has been fueled by sales of its latest and greatest smartphone, the Galaxy S III, which it expected to sell 10 million of in July alone.

But what’s most surprising about Samsung’s 50 million number is that, only last month, the company announced an identical total for worldwide sales for its entire Galaxy S line. So either analysts are far too bullish, or Samsung has sold as many phones in the past three months as it has Galaxy S phones over the past two years.

Apple, on the other hand, is seen as being a bit too new-iPhone-dependent for its own good, a reliance that’s preventing its smartphone sales from reaching Samsung’s lofty heights. (We’ve speculated previously that a pre-paid iPhone would be smart move on Apple’s part.)

Samsung’s projected success comes as many investors brace for weak earnings from technology companies this quarter. So while the tech sector may be bracing for a slump, it’s doesn’t seem as if Samsung will contribute to it.

Photo: Devindra Hardawar/VentureBeat