Apple doesn’t report its most recent iPhone sales numbers until Tuesday afternoon but according to newly released estimates, Samsung smartphone sales absolutely crushed Apple’s iPhone in the second quarter this year. Plugged-in market research firm TrendForce on Tuesday issued its smartphone shipment estimates for Q2 2013 and the numbers aren’t good for Apple. According to the firm, Apple sold 27 million iPhones in the second quarter as its global market share fell to 12.1%. The figure would mark a 30% sequential decline, and TrendForce noted that if the next-generation iPhone 5S doesn’t launch until early October, Apple’s numbers this quarter will get worse.
UPDATE: Apple posted its June-quarter results on Tuesday afternoon and reported iPhone sales totaling 31.2 million units.
On the other side of the world, things are looking very good for Apple’s top rival, Samsung. According to TrendForce’s estimates, Samsung sold a staggering 71 million smartphones into channels during the second quarter, which would certainly help explain its record $8.3 billion profit.
The firm estimated that Galaxy S4 shipments totaled 23 million units in Q2, which not only makes it the fastest-selling Android smartphone in history, but may also have made it the best-selling smartphone in the world last quarter — TrendForce says iPhone 5 sales totaled 22 million units during the second quarter this year.
Combined global smartphone shipments reportedly totaled 221 million units in Q2, up 31.4% from the same quarter last year.
