iLounge

Apple is closing the gap between itself and Nokia in its effort to become the world’s top smartphone vendor. According to the latest data from IDC, Apple’s Q1 2011 shipments of 18.7 million iPhones—up 115 percent year over year—were good for 18.7 percent of the market, trailing long-time leader Nokia by less than six million units. The Finnish company shipped 24.2 million units in Q1, good for a 24.3 percent share of the market, but up only 12.6 percent year-over-year. Apple was followed by BlackBerry maker RIM, with 14 percent market share, Samsung, with a 10.8 percent share, and HTC, with an 8.9 percent share of the market. Overall shipments of smartphones grew 79.7 percent year over year, from 55.4 million units in Q1 2010 to 99.6 million units in Q1 2011.