Samsung phones topped the list of bestsellers in Australia in the September quarter on the back of demand for the Galaxy SII and its stripped-down versions.

The rush to own the new Samsung smartphone, according to the quarterly report by IDC Australia, placed the South Korean firm ahead of the erstwhile leader, Apple, which slid to number two but maintained the distinction of selling the bestselling smartphone this year so far - the iPhone 4.

Apple's handset, the IDC report said, largely dominated the smartphone segment for much of the year until the Galaxy SII came around, and coupled with Samsung's array of other Galaxy smartphones and other feature phones, Samsung made the list as the best earner among mobile phone vendors in Australia during the third quarter.

Samsung led the feature phones segment in the same period, the IDC said, and where Apple is not competing, while at the same time capturing the smartphone arena with 25 percent share of the market.

Apple, according to the IDC report, came in close with 24 percent with HTC of Taiwan settled at number three.

IDC analyst Yee-Kuan Lau notes that Apple has reasons to worry about its market standing in Australia, at least in the smartphone market segment, as she revealed that while the iPhone 4 came out as the number one, the Galaxy SII trails not too far despite being issued only during the second half of the year.

Even Apple's dominance in the smartphone arena, the IDC report said, is under siege as more Android-powered handsets hit the market, making the platform the leading gadget in the period with 65 percent of share, coming from the 59 percent it posted in the same corresponding period in 2010.

Apple's iPhone 4 is clearly geared toward the high-end market, which proved lucrative enough for the American company, but other firms that released Android smartphones with lower sticker price pushed the platform ahead of the iOS in terms of total sales generated this year, the IDC said.

Australian consumers wanting to enjoy the features and functions of smartphones were lured into buying affordable Android handsets that were miles away from the iPhone in price, Lau said.

Most of these new buyers were previous feature phone owners, who according to Lau have started training their attention to the technology offered by smartphones.

"The shift to smartphones is a gradual process, starting with consumers who want the connectivity/mobility with additional features at a slightly higher price point," Lau told The Australian.

Clearly, Samsung made a killing on this respect, the IDC analyst said, as the company bothered, with hefty rewards, to establish its imposing presence in almost all segments of the mobile phone market by offering high-end and affordable smartphones while maintaining its place in the feature phone market.