Samsung Galaxy S III Reportedly Tops iPhone 4S as Best-Selling U.S. Smartphone

[sazivad]

This is what happens when [Apple] can't innovate and has to littigate [sic] folks!

Remind me of all the purely touchscreen (i.e., no hardware QWERTY) phones with app stores, data plans, etc. you saw before the iPhone.

The iPhone 4S, wow, real innovation over the 4.

Is form factor the only thing that matters to you?

…my opinion is backed by the majority.

Opinions are opinions, not facts. They aren't right or wrong, so it really doesn't matter if more people think one thing or another.

 

[r.harris1]

Your confusing updating with innovating.

Samsung is where the innovations at.

I can see you are upset about the iPhone being talked of in a negative fashion but please know that since the iPhone is no longer the most popular phone my opinion is backed by the majority.

I think you're confusing sticking existing technologies into a box with innovation. The S3 is a nice phone if you're an Android fan - I have to use one at work to develop on - but innovative?

 

[olowott]

Its just for a hmmmmmm 7 days!!!

 

[WatchTheThrone]

Enjoy your week at the top Samsung lol because once the iPhone is announced your gonna go back to # 2....in iphone 5 preorders alone

 

[AR999]

Remind me of all the purely touchscreen (i.e., no hardware QWERTY) phones with app stores, data plans, etc. you saw before the iPhone.

Is form factor the only thing that matters to you?

Opinions are opinions, not facts. They aren't right or wrong, so it really doesn't matter if more people think one thing or another.

Doesn't matter when is doesn't suit you I see. SAMSUNG xxx

 

[kdarling]

Remind me of all the purely touchscreen (i.e., no hardware QWERTY) phones with app stores, data plans, etc. you saw before the iPhone.

The iPhone didn't have an app store during its first year. All other smartphones could download and run third party apps. It also didn't have a 3G data plan, like most other smartphones of the time.

The iPhone also isn't "purely touchscreen", as it depends on a physical button to work. Without the Home button, iOS is unusable. Other touchscreen phones of the time could be operated either with buttons or the screen. (E.g. Windows Mobile Pro touchscreen phones often had both a physical Start button and a virtual one on the screen's statusbar. Either way gave access to the icon app grid.)

 

[iWe]

The iPhone reign wouldn't last forever. We'll see how things play out after the new iPhone is released.

It's very interesting to see whether the iPhone 5 with it's relatively small change in appearance can still woo the masses in the same way as it's predecessors. Personally I'm not that sure that iPhone 5 as it is will be enough. Of course if Apple will introduce it in multiple colors it's gonna be a different story and it will sell like hotcakes.

 

[BC2009]

"Channel Checks" -- this measures shipments.

Is anybody surprised that Apple has cut back shipping of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB iPhone 4S units ahead of demoting it to 8GB status. Anybody? Anybody?

[crickets]

Of course Samsung's flagship phone that was just launched is getting more shipments into sales channels in the USA than the phone that Apple is about to make obsolete. If you are a carrier, would you want to order more iPhone 4S models that are about to get discontinued?

Further, keep in mind that this checking sales through Sprint, AT&T and Verizon and is ignoring other channels like Apple Store and Best Buy.

As always, when Samsung starts publishing their sales numbers by phone model or at least designating which phones are "smart phones" and tells us how many "smart phones" they sold then these comparisons on models sold will make sense. Until then, this is just more noise to be filtered out.

 

[albusseverus]

Is this from one of those analysts that agree that the next iPhone will be the biggest consumer electronics launch ever?

i'm in awe (not in the good way) of the perceived gullibility of the target audience - yes, we told you next iPhone (can't bring myself to call it 5) will be the biggest thing ever, yes iPhone sales dip this time every year awaiting a new iPhone, but we're going to tell you how well Samsung did this month… because we don't think you'll remember anything and you need us to connect the dots for you (after you've mis-invested and we've taken you to the cleaners).

It would be cooler if iPhone outsold Samsung, even the month before an update, but that's one big-arse screen!

It will be outdated in a couple of months, it's got a quad core processor and it can't scroll a photo to save its life, but it looks good when you turn the screen on in the shop. Just don't turn it over, it looks like a dog's bottom!
​

On the other hand, if Apple can't do better than a stretch-4, those Samsung figures might be the beginning of the most anticipated stumble of all time. I know Steve wanted a skinny iPhone, but nobody else does (look at Samsung sales). And what did he tell Apple to do? Don't ask, 'What would Steve do?" I'd like to see Tim Cook step-up here, and do what's right.

 

[fpsBeaTt]

Fantastic news.

This is what happens when you can't innovate and have to littigate folks!

The iPhone 4s, wow, real innovation over the 4.

It overtook the iPhone months ago in most places. In the UK alone it overtook the iPhone within 1 week.

As others have said the leading vendor will change from month to month.

I know i'll never own an iPhone now, having used one once, it felt cheap nasty and made by the lowest bidder. Quality was not important. I'll say the same about Samsung as well, the Mrs has one, absolutely horrible. Cheap and nasty, just like the iPhone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yytbDZrw1jc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[c0venant]

Your confusing updating with innovating.

and you're confusing "your" with "you're".

Samsung is where the innovations at.

yeah, that's what was proved in a California court last week

 

[DeathChill]

"Channel Checks" -- this measures shipments.

Is anybody surprised that Apple has cut back shipping of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB iPhone 4S units ahead of demoting it to 8GB status. Anybody? Anybody?

[crickets]

Of course Samsung's flagship phone that was just launched is getting more shipments into sales channels in the USA than the phone that Apple is about to make obsolete. If you are a carrier, would you want to order more iPhone 4S models that are about to get discontinued?

Further, keep in mind that this checking sales through Sprint, AT&T and Verizon and is ignoring other channels like Apple Store and Best Buy.

As always, when Samsung starts publishing their sales numbers by phone model or at least designating which phones are "smart phones" and tells us how many "smart phones" they sold then these comparisons on models sold will make sense. Until then, this is just more noise to be filtered out.

It's the same thing that's reported throughout the year with various phones. I've think every major Android phone has topped the iPhone in sales according to analysts. Then the carriers release their numbers and the analysts are wrong. Every. Single. Time.

 

[S.B.G]

It's very interesting to see whether the iPhone 5 with it's relatively small change in appearance can still woo the masses in the same way as it's predecessors. Personally I'm not that sure that iPhone 5 as it is will be enough. Of course if Apple will introduce it in multiple colors it's gonna be a different story and it will sell like hotcakes.

I wouldn't count on seeing any colors for the new iPhone except the standard black and white. But I do agree, if they offer more colors than that, more people could buy it.

 

[Icy1007]

Guess people haven't realized how bad the Galaxy phones are yet...

 

[SprSynJn]

Apparently those who claim Samsung as innovators haven't been reading the news as of late. "Innovative" is the last word that should be associated with them now. Back on topic though, I am surprised that the iPhone was the top selling phone up until recently. I had thought Android phones were topping carriers everywhere for a while. At least that is what the media had been telling me.

 

[GoldenJoe]

What a sensationalist article. Stop wasting our time and trying to pit iOS and Android users against one another.

 

[iWe]

I wouldn't count on seeing any colors for the new iPhone except the standard black and white. But I do agree, if they offer more colors than that, more people could buy it.

I do not count on it either but it would most definitely boost the sales.

 

[alexN350z]

Not a surprise, already seen it coming weeks ago.

For people still in denial, you should see trend in last three years, there is no smartphone outsell iPhone before SG3.

Also, Samsung will cut SG3 price over time, and Google new nexus phone is on its way.

 

[BaldiMac]

Not a surprise, already seen it coming weeks ago.

For people still in denial, you should see trend in last three years, there is no smartphone outsell iPhone before SG3.

Also, Samsung will cut SG3 price over time, and Google new nexus phone is on its way.

And what exactly is the trend that you saw coming for weeks based on?

 

[fpsBeaTt]

The iPhone didn't have an app store during its first year. All other smartphones could download and run third party apps. It also didn't have a 3G data plan, like most other smartphones of the time.

The iPhone also isn't "purely touchscreen", as it depends on a physical button to work. Without the Home button, iOS is unusable. Other touchscreen phones of the time could be operated either with buttons or the screen. (E.g. Windows Mobile Pro touchscreen phones often had both a physical Start button and a virtual one on the screen's statusbar. Either way gave access to the icon app grid.)

Because they're definitely 'apps' in the sense of what the App Store delivered

In terms of interaction excluding reset/home-screen display/print-screen, the iPhone is "purely touch screen".

 

[JoshAlfie]

The fact that it's still doing so well despite being almost a year old is the real achievement here. Go iPhone!!

 

[Dolorian]

No surprise there as the iPhone 4S is nearing the end of it's cycle and the new iPhone is just around the corner. Lots of people holding out for the new model.

 

[tongxinshe]

And what exactly is the trend that you saw coming for weeks based on?

The trend is that the iPhone vs. Android phone data will be smaller and smaller. The future will be like Windows vs. Mac OS at present, if Windows Phone cannot cut out enough market share to stop Android from being steadily over 80%.

This is something I predicted 3 years ago. I hope Apple can eventually survive on the cell phone market (not how Mac computers so-called "survive" now, but a real survival).

 

[macs4nw]

er, are you sure youre commenting on the right companies? it was Apple that innovated the hell out of the cell business, causing massive disruption and shifting fortunes -- please see near bankruptcies of Nokia and RIM. then came the clones like Samsung.
as for the 4S over the 4...you do realize apple practices an incremental strategy, yes? even w/ that they doubled the CPU, multiplied the GPU, doubled the storage and (i think) the ram, redesigned the antenna and doubled the thru put. what more could you want? oh yeah, a new case design. rolleyes...

and the problem is...? did your eyes get smaller during this time? mine havent. and the resolution on the device has doubled yielding a screen thats even easier to read now than when it came out.

the iphone feels cheap and poorly made? riiiight. geeze...the mental hoops people will jump thru to feel good about themselves is absurd. its a phone, man. not your self-esteem. i hope.

You have to love this kind of quote from someone trying to protect Samsung. They have never innovated anything. Look at the TV sets, they stole their technology from Sony! Keep supporting the South Korean knock-off artist.

Wait- so now that the S3 is the most popular phone is it now cool to hate Samsung? Is apple the underdog again? I'm very confused, someone please tell me which phone will increase my social status.

Well put all above posters! My sentiments exactly!

 

[BaldiMac]

The trend is that the iPhone vs. Android phone data will be smaller and smaller. The future will be like Windows vs. Mac OS at present, if Windows Phone cannot cut out enough market share to stop Android from being steadily over 80%.

This is something I predicted 3 years ago. I hope Apple can eventually survive on the cell phone market (not how Mac computers so-called "survive" now, but a real survival).

That's not the trend at all. The iPhone continues to GAIN market share year over year. And unlike Windows vs Mac, Apple still has all the advantages of leading market share despite being in second place! Profits, developers, accessories, etc.

And, of course, that has nothing to do with the question that I asked. Which was what trend over the last few weeks had the poster I responded to led him to believe the GS3 would pass the iPhone in the US for one month.