Galaxy S3 vs. Apple iPhone: 5 release date expected soon, but Samsung smartphone new No. 1

Take that, Apple iPhone. Even if the impending iPhone 5 release date may turn it all back around. For the moment, Samsung says global sales of its Galaxy S3 smartphone have surpassed 20 million in a little more than three months -- making it the bestselling smartphone in recent months instead of the Apple iPhone. The suspicion, of course, is that while the Galaxy S III is rocking, Apple followers have easesd off of iPhone 4 sales awaiting the expected release of the iPhone 5. Apple fans have talked about the Apple iPhone 5, or next Apple iPhone, for almost two years now. But now the wait may finally be over, as Apple Inc. has invited reporters to a news conference next week in San Francisco. The Sept. 12 Apple event is expected to be about the iPhone -- or the unveiling of the highly-anticipated iPhone 5. "The weaker iPhone 4S sales likely aren't an indictment on the demand for Apple products, but merely a pause as consumers wait for the next iteration, commonly referred to as the iPhone 5," writes CNET's Roger Cheng, who reported earlier this week that the Galaxy S3 had overtaken the iPhone 4 in U.S. sales in August. Citing Canaccord Genuity analyst T. Michael Walkley, who checks in with retailers to see how each phone is doing, the report noted that Galaxy S3 overtook the iPhone in the U.S. for the first time since October 2011. Apple's iPhone has been the world's top-selling smartphone since it was launched in 2007. Apple has some more than 130 million iPhones, and the iPhone 5 is expected to be a blockbuster hit, according to analysts. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said Apple may sell up to 10 million iPhone 5 units in the first week. The new iPhone is expected to have a larger screen among many new features and it is said to have been a signature product of the late Steve Jobs, the Apple co-founder and longtime CEO. But the Samsung Galaxy S III can't be sold short, either, and the recent news of 20 million sold in little more than three months is a big statement on the heels of the iPhone 5, or new iPhone, unveiling. Samsung Electronics Co. launched the flagship smartphone powered by Google's Android operating system in Europe in late May. The release schedule was about three months ahead of new phone announcement by rivals Apple, Nokia and Motorola. Samsung says brisk sales of the S III are helping it retain dominance in the $219 billion global smartphone market. Strategy Analytics says Samsung overtook Apple in worldwide smartphone shipments in 2011. The company is embroiled in legal tussles with Apple around the world over whether Samsung's mobile devices copied Apple products. Apple last week added the S III to the "copycat" list in its complaint filed with a U.S. court. As for the Apple iPhone, the event is scheduled for Sept. 12 in San Francisco, and reports indicate a Sept. 21 release date. wholesale accessories,iphone accessories,ipad accessories,ipod accessories