Apple's iPhone 5 beats Samsung's Galaxy S III as top seller, says report Apple's iPhone 5 surpassed Samsung's Galaxy S III last quarter as the hottest-selling smartphone worldwide, according to a Strategy Analytics report released Wednesday. For the final quarter of 2012, Apple shipped 27.4 million iPhone 5 units globally, winning a market share of 12.6 percent. In contrast, Samsung shipped 15.4 million Galaxy S III phones for a 7.1 percent slice of the market. Samsung actually saw its Galaxy S III shipments and market share both drop from the third quarter's numbers. Strategy Analytics senior analyst Neil Shah attributed the success of the iPhone 5 to a "rich touchscreen design, extensive distribution across dozens of countries, and generous operator subsidies." Holiday shoppers also certainly contributed to the phone's robust sales. The iPhone 5 was launched in September, so the fourth quarter was its first full quarter of sales. Apple's iPhone 4S took second place ahead of the Galaxy S III with shipments of 17.4 million and a market share of 8 percent. "Apple's iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S together accounted for 1 in 5 of all smartphones shipped worldwide in Q4 2012," Strategy Analytics executive director Neil Mawston said in a statement. This was an impressive performance, given the iPhone portfolio's premium pricing. However, Samsung will certainly try to regain the upper hand with the debut of its next Galaxy S smartphone. The company will hold an event in New York City on March 14 in which it's expected to announce the Galaxy S IV. With a new iPhone not likely to launch until later this year, the Galaxy S IV could pose a threat to its arch-rival. "Samsung's Galaxy S III has long proven wildly popular with consumers and operators across North America, Europe, and Asia," Mawston added. However, global demand for the Galaxy S III appears to have peaked and Samsung will surely be keen to introduce its rumored Galaxy S IV upgrade in the coming weeks to fight back against Apple's popular iPhone range. This article originally appeared on CNET under the headline "iPhone 5 beats Galaxy S3 as top seller, says report."