Samsung sold 56.3 million smartphones in third quarter: report

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, the world's top phone handset maker, sold 56.3 million smartphones in the third quarter, widening its lead over rival Apple Inc, a report by research firm IDC showed.

Samsung took 31.3 percent of the global smartphone market, while Apple, which sold 26.9 million iPhones, had 15.0 percent of the market in the September quarter.

(Reporting by Miyoung Kim; Editing by Daniel Magnowski)