Apple beat Samsung in smartphone shipments for the first time in 5 years

Apple reclaimed the top spot of the smartphone market last quarter for the first time since 2011, in large part due to the release of new iPhones and Samsung's exploding Galaxy Note 7s.

According to new data from IDC charted for us by Statista, Apple shipped 78.3 million units in the fourth quarter, up 4.7% year-over-year, and slightly surpassed Samsung's 77.5 million units shipped.

IDC pointed to the success of the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus for Apple's comeback. Apple, in fact, had a record for iPhone sales last quarter, although for the full year, it saw declining iPhone shipments for the first time in 2016. Samsung's exploding Galaxy Note 7 phones likely played a part too, as Samsung previously disclosed the "Batterygate" cost it $3 billion in lost sales.

Statista

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