South Korea tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. sold the largest number of so-called smart connected devices in the world in the first nine months of 2015, data showed Friday. 

Samsung Electronics sold 266 million smart connected devices -- a collective term for smartphones, tablets and personal computers -- worldwide in the January-September period, accounting for 19.3 percent of the total, the International Data Corporation said. 

U.S. tech behemoth Apple ranked second, selling 205 million iPhones, iPad and MacBooks during the period, showing an 18 percent surge from a year ago, it said. 

Chinese technology company, Lenovo, took third place as it held a firm grip on the global PC market. 

China's high-tech manufacturing industry made explosive growth last year, with nearly 1 out of 3 smartphones, tablets and PCs sold globally being made in China. 

The combined shipments of smart devices made by the top 15 tech manufacturers came to 1.38 billion in the first three quarters of last year, advancing 5.6 percent from a year ago, the IDC said. Nine out of 15 were Chinese firms. (Yonhap)