Apple has surpassed Samsung as the world's leading shipper of smartphones, according to two industry reports released today.
Though IDC and IHS Markit had differing numbers for the fourth quarter of 2017, the result was the same: Apple handsets surpassed Samsung in shipments for only the second time in history.
"The new models from Apple played a key role in moving Apple ahead of Samsung in Q4," said Ryan Reith, vice president for IDC's Mobile Device Tracker report.
According to Apple's own numbers, it's selling about 10 iPhone per second -- most of which are iPhone X's.
Apple yesterday announced quarterly revenue of $88.3 billion, an increase of 13% year-over-year -- an all-time record. International sales accounted for 65 percent of the quarter’s revenue.
[ Related: 8 ways businesses can take advantage of the iPhone X ]
Apple once before surpassed Samsung in handset shipments – in the fourth quarter of 2016. But that was considered an anomaly by analysts at the time.
"Apple had a good holiday quarter [in 2016], but it was also the same time Samsung was going through that whole issue with the Note 7 and the battery issue. So Samsung was having its own issues, while Apple was doing well," Reith said. "There was no anomaly this quarter. There's no question [Apple is] gaining traction."
Apple shipments, Reith said, are driven by holiday sales because their new product release cycle comes just prior to that season.
