Smartphones continue to be the darling of the mobile sector, reaching a record number of shipments for a single quarter - up 4.2 percent, according to third-quarter data out from IDC.

During the last reporting period, 43.3 million smartphones shipped worldwide, up 4.2 percent from 41.5 million in the same period a year ago, and up 3.2 percent from shipments of 41.9 million in the second quarter of this year, according to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker report.

Though the relative ranking of the top players in the space remains the same, analysts predict that the new Android-powered handsets will soon have a significant impact.

Nokia (NYSE: NOK) continues to retain the No. 1 spot worldwide, despite ongoing struggles in the US, with 6 percent year-over-year growth and 37.9 percent marketshare for Q3, up only slightly from 37.1 a year earlier.

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