Global smartphones sales continued to grow in the third quarter of 2017, and increased 3% from the same period last year according to data collected by Gartner. Global market leaders Samsung and Apple were able to defend the two top spots from Chinese competitors despite increased competition.

As we can see in this chart from Statista, Samsung saw the most impressive quarter overall, with a whopping 19.3% increase in sales. According to Gartner, the last time Samsung saw this type of growth was the fourth quarter of 2015. The bump in sales can be largely attributed to demand for its new Galaxy S8 and Note 8 devices. In comparison to Samsung, Apple's growth looks meager, but it's important to note that Apple's major product of the year – the iPhone X – wasn't available for sale until October. 

Mike Nudelman/Business Insider

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