Apple and Samsung have overtaken long-time leader Nokia for the top two spots in the global smartphone market, a report said yesterday, underscoring the Finnish handset maker’s ongoing struggles.

US-based research firm Strategy Analytics said the US and Korean smartphone makers outpaced Nokia in the second quarter, with the sector posting record quarterly shipments of 110 million units, or a 76.3 per cent year-on-year rise.

“Just four years after the release of the original iPhone, Apple has become the world’s largest smartphone vendor by volume,” the report said.

The US company’s global market share grew to 18.5 per cent, up from 13.5 per cent last year, and propelling it to top spot in the smartphone market, Research Analytics said.

“Apple’s growth remained strong as it expanded distribution worldwide, particularly in China and Asia,” it added.

Samsung’s smartphone market share in the second quarter jumped to 17.5 per cent from five per cent a year earlier, making it the world’s second-biggest smartphone producer, the report added.

Nokia’s market share, meanwhile, slumped to 15.2 per cent from 38.1 per cent during the second quarter last year, it said.

“This is a tough year for the company,” Nokia spokesman Doug Dawson said yesterday.

In terms of volume, Samsung sold 19.2 million smartphones in the second quarter, a whopping 519 per cent increase from the second quarter in 2010.

Apple took the top slot with 20.3 million smartphones sold, with Nokia surrendering the lead for the first time with just 16.7 million smartphone sales.

Last week, Nokia reported only its second quarterly loss since 1998 with a shortfall of €368 million, compared with a net profit of €227 million one year earlier.

On Wednesday, ratings agency Moody’s downgraded Nokia’s debt by two notches, citing the firm’s lost market share. Moody’s also said it was giving the new rating a negative outlook, meaning that it might lower it further.