With the Samsung Galaxy S4, the South Korean company has introduced its new flagship smartphone. This is a great reason to cast a glance over the global smartphone market. How is Samsung currently faring in comparison with its competitors? No other manufacturer sells as many smartphones as Samsung. The company was able to increase its sales in 2012 by 129 percent to about 216 million units.In comparison, Samsung’s greatest competitor Apple sold approximately 136 million units. With a market share of 29 percent in the fourth quarter of last year, Samsung is currently the undisputed leader in the smartphone market. However, competition from Apple has been increasing steadily. Despite the overall success of Samsung’s smartphone range, Apple still produces the most successful individual models . By the end of 2012, no smartphone had sold as well as the iPhone 5. It remains to be seen if Samsung’s new Galaxy S4 can match that success.