Android-OS phones continue to dominate the global smartphone market. The latest IDC report said the share of Android mobile devices jumped to 81 per cent. Windows phones also expanded to 3.6 per cent, but the share of iOS phones made by Apple went down to 12.9 per cent from 14.4 per cent.

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Computerworld explained the continuous decline of iOS phones in the global smartphone market to the lack of large-display smartphone to sell. In contrast, almost all of the Android makers offer phablets that have screens larger than 5 inches.

All Windows Phone-powered smartphones, particularly Nokia which comprises 93.2 per cent of the market, introduced two new Lumia phones with 6-inch screens that the Finnish phonemaker shipped in Q3.

Ramon Llamas, IDC analyst, said in a statement, "It would help for Apple to have a larger phone, since they are popular in some hot markets where Apple wants to be, including North America, Europe and China."

"When you put all things together, there's an opportunity that Apple's not in right now and that other vendors are offering, like Samsung and now Nokia," he added.

The latest Apple smartphones released in October, the iPhone 5S and 5C have screens that are only 4 inches, although rumours said the next one that would come out probably by 2015 would be either 4.7 or 5.7 inches.

Windows phones grew 156 per cent in Q3, but it still comprised a small portion of the global smartphone market. Android phones added 6.1 per cent as its share of the pie increased from 74.9 per cent in 2012 to 81 per cent, boosting total volume to 211.6 million devices shipped.

The ailing Blackberry managed to ship only 4.5 million smartphone in Q3, down by 41.6 per cent compared to a year ago.

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