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IPhone 4S Tops Sales Charts, Samsung Surges Too

IPhone 4S Tops Sales Charts, Samsung Surges Too

The iPhone 4S was the top-selling smartphone at Verizon, Sprint and AT&T in November, according to Canaccord Genuity, as Apple‘s handsets fight off tough competition from Samsung.

Apple’s 4S topped the list at all major carriers offering the device in the U.S., while the Samsung Galaxy S2 took the crown at T-Mobile. The S2 also came in second at Sprint and AT&T, sandwiched in between Apple’s 4S and iPhone 4, while the Motorola Droid Razr and HTC Rezound rounded out the top three at Verizon, where the S2 is not sold.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based company has had the top-selling smartphone at AT&T and Verizon every month this year, and continued that pattern at Sprint in October when the 4S became available on the carrier. Still, Samsung’s smartphones have been challenging Apple every step of the way.

Earlier this year, the Samsung Infuse 4G for AT&T and Samsung Charge 4G for Verizon challenged Apple each month, coming in the number-two spot behind the iPhone at their respective carriers. Now, the Galaxy S2 is continuing that trend with even more momentum at Sprint and AT&T.

Samsung has already surpassed Apple and become the larger smartphone maker by volume, but the company has not been able to eclipse sales of the iPhone with its own high-end devices. Apple’s release of the 4S in October helped cut into the S2′s momentum, and the company’s handset has sold even faster than any of its predecessors.

Despite Apple’s strong sales numbers, Samsung may be on the verge of leaping ahead of the iPhone maker. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Google‘s flagship Android phone, is expected to go on sale at Verizon later this month and may be the 4S’ biggest competition on the network.

Details about the Galaxy S3 have also begun to leak, and analysts expect Samsung to release the device in the first half of next year.

Samsung may surpass the iPhone in sales if the Galaxy Nexus sells as well as expected and the S3 launches in the U.S. before the iPhone 5, but the companies’ devices will likely end up in a back-and-forth battle for the top-selling smartphone crown.

[Thanks: http://www.forbes.com]

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