Strategy Analytics said in a statement January-March shipments fell to 334.6 million devices from 345 million in the same period a year earlier, as major markets such as China matured and concerns about the global economy weighed on consumer sentiment. South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (>> Samsung Electronics Co Ltd) remained the world's top smartphone maker, but saw shipments fall by 4.5 percent to 79 million, Strategy Analytics said. The firm's market share dipped slightly, to 23.6 percent from 24 percent a year earlier.

Apple Inc (>> Apple Inc.) remained in second place, but saw shipments fall 16 percent to 51.2 million from a year earlier as Strategy Analytics cited what it called "iPhone fatigue". Apple's market share dropped to 15.3 percent from 17.7 percent a year earlier, the researcher said.

(Reporting by Se Young Lee; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)

Stocks treated in this article : Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics Co Ltd