The iPhone 5 has outsold the Samsung Galaxy S3 for the first time as Samsung Galaxy S4 pre-orders eat into sales of its predecessor.
Having been the UK’s leading handset for 10 consecutive months, the Samsung Galaxy S3 has slumped to third in the uSwitch Mobile Tracker chart, overtaken by Apple’s smartphone pairing with the iPhone 5 leading home the iPhone 4S.
The chart, which is based on live searches, pre-orders and sales, has found that following the handset’s formal unveiling in New York City last month, the Samsung Galaxy S4 has caused interest in the S3 to wain as consumers hold out for the new 5-inch, 1.9GHz quad-core powerhouse.
“It’s not just early adopters that are holding out for the Samsung Galaxy S4 to hit the shelves,” Ernest Doku, a telecoms expert with uSwitch said. “Since the Korean manufacturer’s new flagship device was announced in mid-March, the S3’s popularity has already faded enough for not one but two iPhones to get ahead.
“That’s a big deal for the smartphone that has managed to spend 10 long months at the top of the smartphone table.”
Below the iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S3 battle, a selection of high-end Android handsets, and rivals to the Samsung Galaxy S4, have been tussling for places, with the Sony Xperia Z residing in fourth, one place ahead of the newly launched HTC One.
With the now aging iPhone re-entering the monthly chart in sixth position, the following three places are a Samsung whitewash, with the Samsung Galaxy S2 leading home the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini in eighth and ninth spots respectively. The LG manufactured Google Nexus 4 rounds out March’s top ten.
“Although it’s still Apple versus Samsung at the top of the chart, there is plenty of mid-table contention between flagship efforts of other manufacturers, including Sony, HTC and LG,” Doku said. “It’ll be a blow to Nokia that the Lumia 920 isn’t leading the charge for Windows Phone this month, but there should be plenty of movement in the chart coming up, particularly with BlackBerry trying to lure back the faithful with their keyboard-toting Q10, not to mention Samsung making a concerted effort to upset the Apple cart with the heavily hyped Galaxy S4.”
He added: “Unlike the British spring, things are certainly hotting up in the smartphone market.”
