Jul 29, 2011 07:54 GMT  ·  By

Apple has become the number one smartphone vendor in Q2 2011 according to figures dished out by Strategy Analytics, a global, independent research and consulting firm.

The latest research from the analytics company headquartered in Boston, USA reveals that the second quarter of 2011 has seen global smartphone shipments grow an impressive 76 percent, to reach a record 110 million units sold in total by all major vendors.

Of the three major companies that make and sell the most popular smartphones today, the Cupertino, California-based Apple sold the most units in Q2 2011.

Some 20.3 million, to be precise. This is more than double the amount of iPhones sold in Q2 2010, when Apple recorded sales of just 8.4 million iPhones sold.

However, what’s interesting is that Nokia’s smartphone sales have plummeted to 16.7 million units (down from 23.8 million in the year-ago quarter), with Samsung overtaking the Finnish cell phone maker as well, recording some 19.2 million smartphones sold during the quarter.

“Both Apple and Samsung overtook long-time volume leader Nokia for the top two spots in our rankings,” Strategy Analytics wrote.

Apple currently has an 18.5% slice of the smartphone pie, with Samsung trailing it closely at 17.5%, and Nokia way behind at 15.2%.

Alex Spektor, senior analyst at Strategy Analytics, said, “Global smartphone shipments grew a healthy 76 percent annually to reach a record 110 million units in Q2 2011.”

“We had previously reported on Apple becoming the largest smartphone vendor in terms of revenue and profits. Now, just four years after the release of the original iPhone, Apple has become the world’s largest smartphone vendor by volume with 18 percent market share.”

The research firm noted that Apple’s move to expand distribution worldwide, particularly in China and the rest of Asia, was a key factor in the growth of its iPhone business.

Those interested in looking over the full report - Apple Becomes World’s No.1 Smartphone Vendor in Q2 2011 (published by the Strategy Analytics Wireless Smartphone Strategies service) can visit the consulting firm at this address.