Samsung takes over as world's biggest smart phone seller

South Korean mobile manufacturer Samsung has displaced Apple as the largest seller of smartphones, shipping 28 million handsets in the last quarter.

According to a research by the Milton Keynes-based Strategy Analytics, Samsung has 23.8 per cent of the global smartphone market, the Telegraph reported.

Apple's 17.1 million shipments accounted for just 14.6 per cent, although the iPhone-maker has since released a new model, the 4S, which is expected to boost sales.

The third-place was occupied by Nokia that took 14.4 per cent of the market, the report said.

Overall, smartphones make up 44 per cent of the global mobile market, shipping 117 million units last quarter.

Nokia remained the world's largest phone maker overall, but fell five percentage points.

The Finnish company has 27.3 per cent of the market, compared to Samsung 22.6 per cent.

According to the research, Samsung's rise has been driven by a blend of elegant hardware designs, popular Android services, memorable sub-brands and extensive global distribution.

"Samsung has demonstrated that it is possible, at least in the short term, to differentiate and grow by using the Android ecosystem," the research said.