Apple narrows gap with Samsung in Q4

IPhone maker Apple Inc. succeeded in closing the gap with top player Samsung Electronics Co. in the global smartphone and tablet PC market in the fourth quarter, data showed Thursday.Thanks to robust sales of the iPhone 5 and the iPad Mini, Apple claimed 20.3 percent of the global smart device market in terms of shipments, according to the data by market researcher International Data Corp. Samsung Electronics kept its lead with a 21.2 percent market share.Apple continued to dominate the market in terms of revenue, with a market share of 30.7 percent. Its South Korean rival claimed 20.4 percent.Meanwhile, the global market for smart devices, such as smartphones, tablet PCs and laptops, expanded 29.1 percent on-year in 2012 to US$576.9 billion.The market researcher projected the global market to reach $814.3 billion in 2017 on the back of continued demand for mobile devices."Consumers and business buyers are now starting to see smartphones, tablets, and PCs as a single continuum of connected devices separated primarily by screen size," said Bob O'Donnell, IDC Program Vice President for Clients and Displays.