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Samsung is the top U.S. smartphone vendor again, thanks to the S5 and S6 (in that order)

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge side by side S6
Giuliano Correia/Digital Trends
Samsung has reclaimed its title as the top smartphone vendor in the U.S. after ceding its throne to Apple, according to a recent report. The first full month of availability for the company’s popular Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones had something to do with it.

Apple was the No. 1 U.S. smartphone vendor in the three months ending in April, according to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. However, in the three months ending in May, Samsung took back its throne.

This happened despite the fact that the iPhone 6 was the best-selling smartphone in the U.S. during that time. The Samsung Galaxy S5 was the second most popular smartphone, followed by the Samsung Galaxy S6. The iPhone 6 Plus was the fifth most popular smartphone during the three months ending in May, according to Kantar Worldpanel.

The report also notes that 30.6 percent of consumers who purchased a Galaxy S6 in April and May were on Verizon Wireless, while 27.2 percent were on Sprint, and 26.6 percent were on AT&T.

The Galaxy S6’s camera was the top selling point, followed by the quality of the screen and the size of the screen.

Despite the strong showing by Samsung’s newest flagship phones, industry watchers and investors are unimpressed — the same goes for LG and its G4 flagship.

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Jason Hahn
Jason Hahn is a part-time freelance writer based in New Jersey. He earned his master's degree in journalism at Northwestern…
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