iPhone global market share grew to 25.1% in 2012

According to data published by IDC, Apple's global share of the smartphone market grew from 18.8 percent to 25.1 percent during 2012. That share is based on sales of 93.1 million iPhones in 2011 and 136.8 million sold in calendar year 2012. While that growth rate of 46.9 percent sounds good, it pales in comparison to Samsung's incredible growth in the smartphone market in 2012.

Apple and Samsung were in a dead heat for global market share last year, with Samsung's 19 percent share barely edging out Apple's 18.8 percent. But Samsung's shipments jumped from 94.2 million units in 2011 to a whopping 215.8 million in 2012 -- an astonishing 129.1 percent increase in shipments.

The IDC data also shows that several low-cost manufacturers -- Huawei and ZTE -- are making significant inroads in the smartphone market. Between the top manufacturers and these low-cost entrants, Nokia, RIM and HTC are finding their once-solid places in the smartphone market melting away.