Is the iPhone King of the World?

The iPhone has been the subject of several speculations that claim sales of the device have been falling, but according to a new research report, the Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) smartphone has been enjoying never-before popularity.

According to new data from Strategy Analytics, the iPhone 5 was the bestselling smartphone in the world in the fourth quarter of last year, and it was followed in second place by the iPhone 4S. Samsung’s (SSNLF.PK) Galaxy S3 came in third.

Apple reportedly shipped 27.4 million iPhone 5 units during the holiday quarter for a 13 percent share of all global smartphones shipments. The company also shipped 17.4 million units of the iPhone 4S for an 8 percent share. During a January earnings call, Apple said it sold 47.8 million iPhones during the quarter. About 15.4 million units of the Galaxy S3 were shipped in the three months to give the Samsung flagship phone a 7 percent share of the market, Strategy Analytics said.

With a total 21 percent share of the market, the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4S together sold thrice more widely than the latest Samsung device and accounted for 1 in 5 of all smartphones shipped worldwide in the quarter…