Apple reclaimed its position as the number one smartphone vendor in the fourth quarter of 2011, displacing Samsung following the launch of the iPhone 4S, according to figures from Strategy Analytics.

The company noted that for the full year 2011, Samsung was the market leader, with a share of 20 percent – displacing long-term number one Nokia.

Neil Mawston, executive director of Strategy Analytics, said that “Samsung is well positioned alongside Apple in a two-horse race at the forefront of one of the world’s largest and most valuable consumer electronics market.”

Nokia’s contrasting fortune saw its smartphone market share halve to 16 percent from 33 percent in 2010, due to “a lacklustre touchscreen smartphone portfolio and a limited presence in the huge United States market.”

For the market as a whole, 155 million smartphones were shipped in Q4, compared with 100.7 million in the same period in 2010. For the full year, 488.5 million devices shipped, compared with 299.5 million.

In the handset market as a whole, Nokia retained its number one spot in the fourth quarter, with a market share of 25.5 percent, down from 30.9 percent year-on-year. Samsung was in number two position, with a market share of 21.3 percent, up from 20.2 percent.

In the fourth quarter, 445 million handsets shipped, up from 400.1 million in the comparable period in 2010. Full year shipments were 1.55 billion, compared with 1.36 billion.