68% of smartphone users have Apple or Samsung device

Apple Inc.’s iPhone is owned by more than 40 percent of smartphone users in the U.S., giving the Cupertino, Calif., tech company a larger share of the national smartphone market than any of its rivals.

Apple’s U.S. iPhone ownership grew from 35 percent during the fourth quarter of 2012 to 42 percent during the same period in 2013, according to a recent study by NPD Group.

The study found that Samsung Electronics Co. came in second place, with

26 percent of smartphone users reporting they own a device by the South Korean tech giant — up from 22 percent during the fourth quarter of 2012.

Apple and Samsung combine to represent 68 percent of the smartphones owned in the U.S., placing the two companies well ahead of any competitors. While Apple and Samsung grew their ownerships, Google Inc.-owned Motorola, HTC Corp. and BlackBerry Ltd. saw their numbers drop.

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Los Angeles Times

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