Samsung was the top smartphone vendor in South Korea throughout the fourth quarter of 2019, however, the company’s top spot was somewhat threatened by Apple’s increased influence in the domestic market. Samsung managed to retain first place with a 57% market share, but although the company held the majority stake, its market share has dropped by 14% compared to Q3 2019.

At the same time, Apple held the second spot on the podium with a 28% market share, and its influence has increased by 17% from a quarter earlier. According to The Korea Herald citing Counterpoint Research, Apple’s positive performance was attributed to strong iPhone 11 sales.

Nevertheless, 7 out of the 10 best-selling smartphones in South Korea throughout Q4 2019 were made by Samsung. The Galaxy Note 10+ 5G was apparently the most sought-after device in the three-month period, and it was even more popular than the iPhone 11 which took second place ahead of the standard Galaxy Note 10 5G.

LG was the third-largest smartphone vendor with 15% of the segment. Overall, the South Korean smartphone market continues to grow, and Q4 has marked a 1.6% increase over the previous quarter. Samsung wasn’t able to increase its own market share at the same time, but its 5G smartphones have helped to strengthen the domestic global market as a whole.