Samsung said today it has sold more than 20 million of its Galaxy S III smartphones just 100 days after its launch.
The news comes as Samsung and other device manufacturers have planned a flurry of device announcements, events timed to gain media attention ahead of Apple’s expected iPhone unveiling on Sept. 12.
Nokia debuted its new Lumia phones with Windows Phone 8 on Wednesday, the same day Motorola Mobility outed a fresh line of Android-based Razr devices. Amazon is likely to show off a new Kindle Fire at its press event today. Not to be left out, HTC is holding an event on Sept. 19, where it is also expected to come out with new devices.
Apple is Samsung’s top rival, and the Galaxy S III is the South Korean company’s latest line of defense against the iPhone. The latest version of the smartphone is selling three times as fast as the preceding model, the Galaxy S II, and six times as fast as the first Galaxy S, Samsung said.
Samsung’s release of Galaxy S III sales numbers comes after it lost a key U.S. patent battle against Apple last month, when a jury found it had violated the Cupertino, Calif. company’s patents and recommended Samsung pay $1 billion in damages. Samsung has vowed to appeal the judgment.
Apple has sought a ban on a number of Samsung devices, including the Galaxy S III.
If successful, a ban could eliminate one of Samsung’s strong sellers from the U.S. market. Samsung reports it has sold 4 million of the newest Galaxy S phones in North America, 4.5 million in Asia, 6 million in Europe and 2.5 million in Korea. Worldwide, it estimates it is shipping 200,000 Galaxy S III devices each day.
Samsung widened its lead over Nokia and Apple for global phone sales during the second quarter, when Gartner reported it held 21.6 percent of the market, compared to Apple’s 6.9 percent and Nokia’s 19.9 percent. The numbers include both smartphones and feature phones, which comprise a significant portion of Samsung’s portfolio.