Samsung sold 10 million Galaxy S smartphones in 2010, the Suwon, South Korean company announced Monday. Although the handset helped goose Samsung’s third-quarter profits by 20 percent, the Android-powered device still lags behind Apple’s iPhone. The Cupertino, Calif. company sold 14.1 million iPhones in the September quarter.
“For the time being, Apple’s presence in the smartphone market will remain solid,” Seoul-based analyst Young Park told Bloomberg. However, Samsung could continue its rise “based on their brand power and their relationship with telecommunication companies,” Park adds.
Samsung is expected to ship 61 million smartphones in 2011, according to Goldman Sachs. The Nexus S, which offers iPhone 4-like features as front- and rear-facing cameras, could help the South Korean company move from its current fourth-place behind Research in Motion, Apple and Nokia, in terms of worldwide smartphone sales.
The Samsung Nexus S was introduced in December. The company will announce third-quarter earnings this week.
