London 1 Feb (ANA) - Apple has overthrown Samsung as the world's biggest smartphone manufacturer for the first time in five years after the iPhone maker reported record sales. Strategy Analytics said that the US tech company regained the top spot after selling 78.3 million handsets in the final quarter of 2017, while Samsung sold 77.5 million. Samsung overtook Apple as the world's biggest smartphone maker in 2011 and has retained the top spot since then, bar one quarter in 2015 when the two were tied according to Strategy Analytics' data. Samsung does not reveal unit sales of its handsets but independent researchers have consistently marked it as the company with the highest market share. However, the Korean company's Note 7 debacle meant sales fell by 3.8 million year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2015, while strong sales of the iPhone 7 grew Apple's sales by 3.5 million. Apple revealed record iPhone sales on Tuesday night as it reported record revenues after three consecutive quarters of decline. "This was the iPhone’s best performance for over a year, as Apple capitalised on Samsung’s recent missteps," said Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics.  "Samsung lost momentum in the quarter as a result of its Note 7 battery fiasco. Samsung captured 18 per cent share for the quarter and 21 per cent share for the full year, its lowest level since 2011. [It] will be banking on the rumored Galaxy S8 model in a few weeks’ time to reignite growth and return to the top spot in quarterly smartphone shipments." (ANA)

FA/ANA/1 February 2017--------