iSuppli: Samsung to pass Nokia as top cellphone OEM for first time in 14 years, increase lead over Apple

Today, iSuppli published the results of its preliminary forecast of the top five cellphone OEMs in 2012. Samsung will for the first time in 14 years pass Nokia as the top OEM for shipments worldwide, according to the report, as it grabs 29 percent of the market (up from 24 percent in 2011).

iSuppli estimated Nokia would see its 30 percent share in 2011 slip to 24 percent during 2012 on declining shipments of both Windows- and Symbian-based phones. Third-place Apple will increase its share to 10 percent of cellphone shipments worldwide, up from 7 percent last year, according to iSuppli’s predictions.

A dislodged Nokia will cause Samsung to rise to first place for the full year of 2012, up from the second rank in 2011, the first time the South Korean electronics titan will occupy the top on a yearly basis. Nokia will fall to the runner-up spot, the first time since 1998 it  won’t be in peak position for overall cellphone shipments during a full calendar year…. Finnish-based Nokia is mired in transitioning its smartphone line to the Windows operating system, resulting in declining shipments for the company. Sales of the company’s older Symbian-based phones have plunged, while its new Microsoft Windows 7-based handsets haven’t been able to make up for the loss so far.

Samsung also tops iSuppli’s forecast for the top smartphone OEMs by worldwide shipments as the company continues to extend its slight lead over Apple. iSuppli is expecting Samsung to take in 28 percent of the global smartphone market in 2012 (up from 20 percent in 2011), while Apple’s gains are smaller at 20 percent—up from 19 percent last year:

Samsung and Apple ended 2011 in a neck-and-neck battle for leadership in the smartphone market, with only 1 percentage point of market share separating them. However, entering the 2012 year, Samsung moved ahead decisively ahead of Apple with a wide range of Android smartphone offerings. Samsung made significant gains in both the high end as well as the low-cost market with its Galaxy line of smartphones. This diversified market approach has allowed Samsung to address a larger target audience for its phones than Apple’s limited premium iPhone line.

(via TNW)