Samsung outsells Apple in smartphones

Samsung has surpassed Apple as the top smartphone vendor, the company's latest financial report suggests.

The Korean company says shipments of its smartphones jumped 40% from the preceding quarter and 300% from a year ago. Based on previous figures, this suggests shipments reached 27 or 28 million units in the three months to September 2011.

In comparison, Apple shipped 17.1 million iPhones in the same period, although the company's management were careful to point out when announcing the result that the figure was stunted by anticipation of a new device.

With Samsung also releasing its flagship Galaxy Nexus, Nokia unveiling its first Windows phone, and Sony taking control of Sony Ericsson, this could be the quarter in which we see the contest between the smartphone vendors reach fever pitch.