Apple, Samsung continue to pace global smartphone market as Xiaomi jumps into top 5

South Korean electronics giant Samsung and California-based Apple remained the two largest sellers of smartphones around the world in the second quarter, data released this week shows, while Chinese brands like Huawei and Xiaomi continue to make inroads.

Samsung took 26.8 percent of the market in the second quarter of this year, according to market research firm TrendForce. Apple dipped slightly from 20.5 percent in the first quarter to 16.4 percent in the second, though that still represents an impressive showing for the company in the traditionally slow period.

Apple is widely expected to announce sales of 50 million or more iPhones in the second quarter during its earnings call later Tuesday, which would be yet another new quarterly sales record.

Apple's share remains more than double that of its closest competitor — Â Chinese firm Huawei, which snagged 7.6 percent — Â even as Chinese handset makers ride a surge in popularity. Apple copycat Xiaomi leapfrogged South Korea's LG to take fourth place with 5.9 percent of the market, thanks in part to the underwhelming performance of LG's latest G4 flagship.

Overall, growth in the worldwide smartphone market continues to slow, inching upward just 1.9 percent in the second quarter. That relatively weak figure can be partially credited to an increasingly saturated market and partially to Apple and Samsung's refresh cycles, which push many consumers to wait until the third calendar quarter of each year to purchase new devices.