The Apple iPhone 5 has managed to become the largest selling smartphone in the fourth quarter of the year 2012 according to a report on Strategy Analytics. In case you are wondering who came in second, it is the iPhone 4S, leaving the Samsung GALAXY S3 with the bronze medal. This is the first time that Apple's flagship phone has been able to get ahead of Samsung's smartphone.

The iPhone 5 is reported to have sold over 27.4 million units during the last three months of the year, whereas the SGS3 with 15.4 million was still found to be behind the iPhone 4S with 17.4 million. The total sales of these two Apple smartphones amount to over 20 per cent of the entire smartphone sales. Things may change soon as Samsung will not take it lying down as it prepares to introduce its new GALAXY S IV in the coming weeks, after the Mobile World Congress 2013. Here is how things changed from Q3 2012 to Q4 2012.

TAGS: Mobile Phones, Apple, Samsung