Samsung Electronics took the top position in global smartphone sales last year, edging out U.S. tech giant Apple.

According to market tracker Counterpoint Research on Wednesday, the South Korean tech firm accounted for 18-point-nine percent of the global smartphone market in 2021 in terms of retail sales. 

Apple came in second with 17-point-two percent, reporting the highest sales since its foundation. 

China's Xiaomi took up 13-point-six percent of the overall market to rank third, followed by other Chinese brands Oppo and Vivo with shares of eleven-point-four percent and nine-point-six percent, respectively.

However, in terms of on-year growth, Samsung ranked last among the five firms with zero-point-nine percent. Xiaomi posted the largest growth among the five with 35-point-one percent. Apple grew 25-point-five percent last year from a year earlier.