Samsung Electronics, took the lead in the global smartphone market in the first quarter of the year on the back of a new product lineup and a stronger foothold in emerging markets, industry data showed on Friday.

    Samsung Electronics sold 81.18 Million smartphone units around the globe in the January-March period, taking up 23.2% of the total. But its first-quarter market presence marks a decline from the previous year's 24.1%, according to the data compiled by market researcher Gartner. 

    Its archrival Apple Inc. accounted for 14.8% of the global smartphone market to ship 51.62 Million units during the first quarter, also down from the previous year's 17.9 % presence, the data showed. "Samsung's Galaxy S7 series phones and renewed portfolio positioned it as a strong competitor in the smartphone market, and more so in the emerging markets where it has been facing fierce competition from local manufacturers," said Gartner. 

    In contrast, Chinese rivals sharply expanded their market shares in the first quarter, aided by rising demand for budget smartphones. Huawei, Xiaomi and Oppo grew in China taking market share from players such as Lenovo and Samsung. 

    Huawei sold 28.86 Million smartphones globally in the first quarter to account for 8.3% of the total which marks a rise from the 5.4% presence a year earlier.