Research suggests Apple, Samsung to overtake Nokia this quarter

According to Boy Genius Report, a report from Nomura Research predicts that Nokia will lose its lead in smartphone unit sales for the first time this quarter, being surpassed by Apple and Samsung.

Nokia has held the top spot in smartphone unit sales for the last 15 years. Dropping from first to third would be a blow indeed. It's not all bad news for Nokia, however, as the company will maintain its lead in overall cell phone sales.

The Finnish communications corporation sells many low-end mobile phones in emerging markets, which boosts its numbers significantly. In February, Nokia announced it was dumping the Symbian operating system and embracing Microsoft's Windows Phone, in hopes that the union would improve its performance among smartphones.