This should keep Apple as the #2 smartphone vendor by unit sales. They've been there for a while.
The amazing thing is... Apple's phones start at $450 unlocked... while all the other companies sell phones that start at $100 unlocked. But the bulk of Apple's phone sales are actually their $550 and $650 models. Crazy!
This is why I view all of these sales predictions with suspicion. If they predict record or even strong sales they're quite possibly part of a pimp-'n-dump strategy by the analysts.
Its impossible to compare these numbers with sales from their competitors since none of the other handset vendors provides actual unit sales numbers. We're left to accept the "best guesses" from analysts who use channel inventory checks, and extrapolate from shipments by distributors/retailers.
Frankly I think its a mistake for Apple to be so transparent. They should follow Amazon's lead and just say "we sold more iPhones than ever" and leave it at that. By providing actual numbers they're just setting themselves up for disappointment.