Apple Edges Out Samsung in Global Smartphone Sales: Gartner

Apple sold the most number of smartphones globally in the fourth quarter, overtaking Samsung for the first time since 2011, according to research firm Gartner.

Apple sold 74.83 million smartphones to end users worldwide, ahead of the 73.03 million phones sold by Samsung, according to Gartner's report. The success of big-screen iPhone 6 and 6 Plus drove Apple's sales in its first quarter ended Dec. 27. The company reported a profit of $18 billion for the period, the biggest ever reported by a public company, according to S&P analyst Howard Silverblatt. Apple's smartphones sales jumped about 49 percent in the fourth quarter, according to Gartner. In contrast, Samsung, the market dominator since 2011, recorded a nearly 12 percent fall.