By Michael Oleaga / m.oleaga@latinospost.com (staff@latinospost.com) | First Posted: May 28, 2013 09:48 AM EDT

The first quarter of 2013 has proven to be successful for Samsung as it sold a record number of smartphones in China.

According to Strategy Analytics, via Korea Herald, Samsung sold 12.5 million smartphones in China during the first three months of this year. The number of smartphones sold will likely break Samsung's total of smartphones sold last year of 30.06 million.

Samsung's 12.5 million smartphones sold is enough to give the South Korean-based company the top smartphone seller title for the fifth consecutive quarter in the world's most populated country. It is also the first time Samsung sold more than 10 million units within a quarter.

Apple, meanwhile, placed sixth. The Cupertino-based organization sold 6.1 million units in China.

Placing behind Samsung is Huawei as it sold 8.1 million units, enough to overtake Lenovo's 7.9 million smartphones.

Overall, China saw 67.4 million smartphones sold in the first quarter of 2013, based on Strategy Analytics' projections. The units of smartphones sold in China equated to 32 percent of worldwide smartphone shipments.

The figures from China come as Strategy Analytics previously stated Apple's iPhone sales dropped to its slowest pace ever, worldwide, during the first quarter.

Samsung's worldwide smartphone shipments increased 56 percent to 69.4 million units in the quarter ending in March. As for Apple, they too saw an increase of 6.6 percent. Apple's increase equated to 37.4 million units.

Overall, smartphone shipments worldwide gained by 36 percent for a whopping 209.5 million units. A reason for the surge is due to service in China and the U.S.

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