Markets, Commentators, Business Insiders and media have all predicted that 2013 will be the year of the smartphone. We took a look at Korea-centric news and developments in the space over the last few days, and have compiled a list of top smartphone news.

iPhone 5 beats Galaxy S3 in Q4 2012 sales

Fourth-quarter sales of Apple’s iPhone 5 surpassed those of rival Samsung Electronics flagship Galaxy S3 device despite a parts supply squeeze.
iPhone 5 sales reached 27.4 million units in the October-December period, emerging as the top-selling smartphone in the three month period, according to the data by market researcher Strategy Analytics. The iPhone 5's market share came to 12% over that period. Source

China becomes world's top smartphone market

China has finally emerged as the world's largest smartphone market due to rising demand for the devices.  China has now overtaken the United States, according to a market report.
The number of smartphones sold in China is estimated at 150 million units between January 2012 and January 2013, industry researcher Flurry said. During the same period, a total of 55 million smartphones were sold in the U.S. Source

LG aims to sell 40M smartphones this year

LG Electronics Inc., the world's fifth-largest handset maker, aims to sell more than 40 million smartphones globally this year, its mobile business chief.
"We sold 8.3 million smartphones in the fourth quarter. This year, we aim to sell an average of 10 million smartphones each quarter," Park Jong-seok, the head of LG's Mobile Communications unit, said in a press conference in Barcelona. Source

Smartphones to beat PCs in shipment value for 1st time: data

The value of worldwide shipments of smartphones are expected to dwarf that of PCs for the first time this year amid growing demand for mobile devices, data showed Monday.
Global smartphone shipment value is forecast to reach US$239.6 billion this year, surpassing PC shipment value estimated at $218.6 billion, according to the data by market researcher Gartner Inc. and finance industry sources. Source

Samsung Electronics aims to double tablet sales this year

Samsung Electronics Co., the world's top smartphone maker, aims to double tablet computer sales this year with its Galaxy Note 8.0 device, the company's mobile business chief said Sunday.
"The tablet PC market is expected to grow 50 percent compared with last year. Samsung aims to double its sales and focus on the tablet PC market," Shin Jong-kyun, the head of Samsung's IT & Mobile Communications division, said in a press conference during the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Source

(LEAD) LG to debut Optimus G Pro on home turf

LG Electronics Inc., the world's fifth-largest handset maker, said Monday it plans to launch the "Optimus G Pro," the follow-up of its flagship handset "Optimus G," in South Korea this week.
LG Electronics will roll out the 5.5-inch full HD smartphone via SK Telecom Co., KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp. on Wednesday, the company said in a press release. Source

BlackBerry may mull exit from S. Korean market: sources

BlackBerry, a Canadian smartphone maker, may pull out of the South Korean market in the first half of this year due to sluggish sales, industry sources said Friday.
Speculation arose of BlackBerry's possible exit from South Korea following its recent announcement that it plans not to unveil new products in Japan. Industry analysts took it as a move by BlackBerry to leave from South Korea and other countries in the region. Source

Samsung targets emerging markets with new feature phone

Samsung Electronics Co. said Friday it has introduced a new "smart" feature phone line-up in India, a move aimed at bolstering its clout in emerging markets.
In a launch event on Thursday in New Delhi, the company unveiled the "REX Series" that consists of four models, Samsung said in a press release. Source

LG's L series global sales top 15 mln

LG Electronics Inc. said Friday it has sold more than 15 million units globally of its third-generation "Optimus L" phones.
LG has sold more than 15 million units of the L3, L5, L7 and L9 models since first releasing the L3 model in March last year, the company said in a press release. Source

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