Data from mobile analyst firm Juniper Research (http://www.juniperrsearch.com) shows Samsung has taken a sizeable lead in the smartphone market in terms of unit shipments.

In the second quarter of 2012, the company estimates Samsung shipped 52.1 million smartphones, just over double the number shipped by its leading rival, Apple with 26.0 million.

The Korea-based company has also doubled its lead over Apple quarter-on-quarter, with its flagship Galaxy S3 playing a key role, having achieved sales of 10 million in June, according to Juniper Research. However, with consumers waiting for the next iPhone expected later in the year, Apple will undoubtedly narrow the gap.

With Samsung’s Galaxy products hitting all price points, and another smash hit in the flagship Galaxy S range, Apple has extended its back catalogue, continuing to sell legacy iPhones at lower price points. While the iPhone 4S added a new killer feature, Siri, the next iPhone will need something of a similar magnitude, particularly if the device retains the 3.5-inch display size, which is now dwarfed by the Galaxy S3 (4.8-inch) and other high-end smartphones. Overall, the smartphone market continues to go from strength-to-strength, with the analyst firm estimating that 132.9 million shipped in Q2 2012 – up from 105.2 million a year ago.