iPhone 4S powers Apple to lead smartphone segment

iPhone 4S helped Apple to climb back into the leadership position the smartphone segment during the fourth quarter of 2011, according to market researcher IDC.

Apple shipped 37 million units during the quarter, giving it a global market share of 23.5 per cent, IDC said, followed by Samsung which shipped 36 million units.

The worldwide smartphone market grew 54.7 per cent year over year to 157.8 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011, said IDC.

"Although the iPhone 4S disappointed some detractors by lacking 4G LTE connectivity or a different size screen, demand was high for the device. In addition, the combination of holiday seasonality, the delay in product launch from 3Q to 4Q, and the addition of multiple mobile operators helped drive volumes higher," IDC said in a statement.

On a full-year basis, total smartphone shipment volumes reached 491.4 million units in 2011, up a strong 61.3% from the 304.7 million units in 2010, IDC said.