Research firm Gartner says that worldwide sales of mobile phones to end users declined 3.1% year-over-year to nearly 428 million units in the third quarter of 2012. However, smartphone sales, which accounted for 39.6% of total mobile phone sales, increased 46.9% during that period.

A Garner researcher said:

After two consecutive quarter of decline in mobile phone sales, demand has improved in both mature and emerging markets as sales increased sequentially. In China, sales of mobile phones grew driven by sales of smartphones, while demand of feature phones remained weak. In mature markets, we finally saw replacement sales pick up with the launch of new devices in the quarter.

Samsung and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) continued to dominate the smartphone market, together controlling 46.5% of market in the third quarter. Strong demand for Galaxy smartphones pushed Samsung’s market share to 32.5%. BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) moved up to the number three spot, followed closely by HTC at number four. Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK), which had occupied the number three spot in the previous quarter, slipped to seventh place.

Google Inc.’s (NASDAQ: GOOG) Android operating system increased its market share to 72.4%. But with the release of the iPhone 5, Apple’s iOs is expected to build on its 13.9% market share in the fourth quarter. RIM held the number three spot on here too, and Microsoft Corp.’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) Windows for mobile came in sixth.

The full Gartner report can be found here.

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