NEW YORK: Apple has beaten world's largest mobile phone maker Nokia in the smartphones category, an area the Finnish company had been losing ground to the US tech giant since the iPhone hit the market, as per the April-June quarter results filed by the two companies.

Nokia, which filed its second quarter results today, sold 16.7 million smartphones worldwide, while Apple's third quarter numbers reveal that it sold 20.34 million units, across the globe.

Apple came up with its June quarter results on Tuesday. During the June quarter, Nokia saw the erosion of its smartphone sales, which dipped 34 per cent compared to 25.2 million units sold by the company in the same quarter of 2010.

Sales of other mobile phone devices of Nokia was down by 16 per cent to 71.8 million compared to 85.8 million in the same quarter a year ago.

Apple during the third quarter ended June 25, reported sales of 20.34 million iPhones, a 142 per cent growth, over the same period a year-ago quarter.

Nokia in its June quarter results reported a 20 per cent decline in its total sales volume of mobile phones (both multimedia phones and smartphones) to 88.5 million unit from 111 million unit it sold in the corresponding period a year ago.

Nokia witnessed a 42 per cent decline in sales in North America, 41 per cent in Greater China, 30 per cent in Europe, 20 per cent in Asia Pacific, 2 per cent in Middle East and Africa combined.

Its sales volume, however, grew by 10 per cent in Latin America.

SOURCE