Worldwide Smartphone Shipments Highlights during year 2013.

The ramp-up of smartphone devices demand continues. On the overall market of about 1 billion units, the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, captured a total of 1,004.2 million smartphones worldwide, up 38.4%

from the 725.3 million units in 2012.

In the fourth quarter of 2013 (4Q13), vendors shipped a total of 284.4 million smartphones worldwide, up 24.2% from the 229.0 million units shipped in 4Q12.

Connectikpeople.co has captured the following Smartphone Vendor Highlights:

According to IDC, Samsung ended the quarter the same way it began the year: as the clear leader in worldwide smartphone shipments. But even with sustained demand for its Galaxy S III, S4, and Note models, as well as its deep selection of mid-range and entry-level models, the company realized a decline compared to the previous quarter. The company maintained a sizable double-digit lead over the next vendor.

Apple posted record shipment volume during 4Q13, driven primarily by the addition of multiple countries offering the iPhone 5S and 5C, and sustained demand from its initial markets that saw these models launch at the end of 3Q13. Apple had the lowest year-on-year increase of all the leading vendors.

Huawei maintained its number three position worldwide, attained the highest year-on-year increase among the leading vendors, and raised its brand profile with a higher proportion of self-branded units compared to the ODM work it had done for other companies.

Lenovo, without any presence in North America and Western Europe, finished the quarter in the number four position. The company's strength lies in its strong presence within key emerging markets and a well-segmented product portfolio spanning from simple, affordable smartphones to full-featured 5" screen models.

LG in fourth position behind Lenovo edged out ZTE for the number five position, with just five million units separating the two companies. According to IDC, LG's success can be directly attributed to its revived portfolio from a year ago, which featured more large-screen and high-end models, including the Nexus 5 and its Optimus G series.