According to the latest data from research firm Gartner, Apple accounted for 17% of worldwide smartphone sales in the third quarter. Apple’s market share trailed only that of BlackBerry maker RIM, with nearly 21%, and Nokia, with 39.3%—an all-time low for the Finnish company.
Apple’s 17% share is a substantial improvement over the year-ago quarter, in which it accounted for only 12.9%. In addition, Gartner says that iPhone sales in the fourth quarter “should be even stronger as Apple starts selling in China, through one additional carrier in the UK, and in an additional 16 countries.” Overall, smartphone sales continued to increase, growing 13% in the third quarter.
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