Despite all of the bleak news about Android’s explosive growth over iOS, Apple has risen to the top of the world’s smartphone market, bumping longtime champ Nokia to third place and barely edging out Samsung, according to newly released data.

MacRumors is reporting that research firm IDC has released data which shows Apple “dramatically outpacing” its competitors in the worldwide smartphone market based on the company’s year-over-year growth for the second quarter of 2011. Also confirmed by Strategy Analytics, Apple is now “the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer,” kicking former giant Nokia into third place and keeping the fast-growing rival Samsung out of the top spot in second place.

“Global smartphone shipments grew a healthy 76 percent annually to reach a record 110 million units in Q2 2011,” claims Alex Spektor, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics. “We had previously reported on Apple becoming the largest smartphone vendor in terms of revenue and profits. Now, just four years after the release of the original iPhone, Apple has become the world’s largest smartphone vendor by volume with 18 percent market share. Apple’s growth remained strong as it expanded distribution worldwide, particularly in China and Asia.”

The news was further confirmed by ABI Research, whose data also showed Apple at top with Samsung a close second. “Although Apple’s 142 percent YoY growth placed it as number one this quarter, Samsung’s 500 percent YoY growth shows that going forward, the top smartphone OEM position is Samsung’s to lose,” said ABI Research Senior Analyst Michael Morgan.

There was little doubt that Apple had surpassed Nokia after both companies released quarterly financials last week, but many analysts suggested that Cupertino would be unable to topple the fast-rising Samsung, who showed 520 percent year-over-year smartphone growth which shifted them from only five percent of the market to a whopping 17.5 percent. However, Apple barely edged out the Korean smartphone maker with 18.5 percent of the market.

Despite owning the top spot, ABI Research claims that Android now owns 46.4 percent of the smartphone market, with an estimated 47 million devices sold during the quarter -- double the number of iPhones sold during the same period.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

(Image courtesy of MacRumors)