Samsung and Apple sold nearly one in every two smartphones worldwide during 2012

Samsung and Apple sold just under half of all smartphones shipped worldwide, according to new annual worldwide smartphone sales estimates for 2012.

The IHS iSupply figures show Samsung led the worldwide smartphone market in 2012, accounting for 28% of sales, with Apple accounting for 20% of sales, for a combined total of around 48% of the worldwide smartphone market.

Both market leaders experienced significant year-on-year growth, with Samsung claiming 20% of the worldwide market in 2011 and Apple claiming 19%, representing a combined total of around 39%.

Nokia, HTC and BlackBerry-maker RIM rounded out the top five with 5% each, with each company suffering significant year-on-year declines. In 2011, Nokia claimed 16% of the market, HTC had 9% and RIM claimed 11%, although the marketshare declines come against the backdrop of a rapidly growing market.

The figures also examined overall mobile phone sales, including feature phones, finding Samsung (29%), Nokia (24%) and Apple (10%) taking out the top three spots. Samsung and Nokia effectively traded places since 2011, when Nokia claimed 30% of the market and Samsung 24%, while Apple’s share grew from 7% to 10% despite not making any feature phones.

The top five were rounded out by ZTE, which claimed the same 6% marketshare as it did in 2011, and LG, which saw its marketshare slip from 6% to 4%.