Samsung reigned supreme in the past three quarters of 2012 as the Best-Selling SmartPhone Manufacturer. IDC said the firm sold 56.3 million smartphones compared to Apple's 26.9 million units.

Latest figure from Samsung showed that the company sold over 30 million Galaxy S III smartphones in the past five months. The model is Samsung's flagship unit.

Its predecessor, S II, took 14 months to breach the 30 million figure. Another model, the Galaxy Note II, which fills a market niche between smartphones and tablets, had sold more than 3 million sets in 37 days.

It wasn't the first time that Samsung beat Apple; in 2011, Samsung Electronics was recognised as the world's largest information technology company measured by its revenues.

The tech giant of South Korea began as a small trading company with 40 employees and it sold grocery items produced in and around the city. The company even produced its own noodles back then. Today, Samsung has a wide range of products including apparel, chemicals, consumer electronic, electronic components, medical equipment, telecommunications equipment, and precision instruments.

The company has several services as well such as advertising, construction, financial services, information and communications technology and retailing.

As of 2011, Samsung's total revenue was $247.5 billion, with a net income of $18.3 billion. From 40 employees then, Samsung now has 36,900 employees worldwide.

Samsung smartphone features that sell massively

Smartphones, like the Galaxy line-up, with the launch of the Android gave opportunity for Samsung to become a leader in mobile technology innovations. Samsung units have distinctive traits that make them sold out in different markets.

1. Material

Smartphones and mobile phones made by Samsung are usually made with light materials such as plastic which decreases the weight and reduces the cost of these devices, allowing it to be within the reach of the masses. Some of their high-end devices have premium materials for protection and resistance to scratch.

2. Price

Samsung mobile devices range from low-cost to very expensive ones, depending to the need of the user, the technology used, latest software, hardware efficiency and materials. These units are available in different classifications from low-end Android devices to the high-end ones, different software such as those from Windows Phone 8 and simple mobile units for text and call.

3. Various Units

Samsung's main advantage is the availability of different units that cover a wide range of features. Apple units are mostly classified as high-end devices with premium materials which cause most of it to be very expensive and most likely exclusive only to those who can afford them. Samsung offers smartphone technology even with its low-cost models such as the Galaxy Y, Galaxy Mini, Galaxy Ace and Galaxy Gio. These are all touchscreen functional, Android-operated units, and gaming capable with price tags affordable to ordinary people.

4. Technology

Android is the most commonly used operating system of Samsung mobile devices, the main competitor of the iOS. The latest technology of the Android OS is the JellyBean version or 4.1. High-end Samsung devices run with at least Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich with an upgrade option to JellyBean. Besides these pricey models, low-end units are also being developed to obtain ICS, or if not, ICS-like versions to make Samsung users experience the full Android OS.

5. Protection

If a user can buy high-end Galaxy devices, it is an assurance that the materials used are more durable than their low-end counterparts. Samsung is one of the clients of Corning Gorilla Glass, a kind of glass used for infrastracture, which is highly resistant to scratches. Most Samsung Galaxy units today are covered with this type of glass.

6. Software

Samsung, unlike its competitors that manufacture units with Android OS, created software of its own. Some of them include the TouchWiz UI for smooth and fluid touch response, Samsung Store which allows users another download area other than the Android Market, Samsung Kies which is offered as the PC suite for Galaxy devices that can be used for back up, data restore from back ups, property editing, and even video conversion. Several exclusive software are available to the Galaxy Note to selected units such as the Adobe Photoshop, an application which allows live editing of images and camera captures. The S Pen and S Note features are most commonly used for charting, designing, and other creative functions.

7. Applications

In case of gaming and app download, Samsung devices are usually compatible with thousands available in the Android market. Whether these apps are free or sold, Samsung always offers additional ways for its followers to get more applications desired. This open application feature is opposite to iOS which is more inclined to exclusivity.

8. Samsung Compatibility

Samsung products and services are not limited to mobile devices but also found in appliances. Some unique Samsung devices can be used as cloud connection to appliances such as the air-conditioner and television. The Samsung brand itself stands out for its interconnecting devices but is not limited to Samsung products. An example is the Samsung Kies which allows iTunes users to back up their multimedia files.

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