SEOUL: Samsung says global sales of its Galaxy S III smartphone have surpassed 20 million in a little more than three months.    

Samsung Electronics Co. launched the flagship smartphone powered by Google's Android operating system in Europe in late May. The release schedule was about three months ahead of new phone announcement by rivals Apple, Nokia and Motorola.

Samsung says brisk sales of the S III are helping it retain dominance in the smartphone market. Strategy Analytics says Samsung overtook Apple in worldwide smartphone shipments in 2011.

The company is embroiled in legal tussles with Apple around the world over whether Samsung's mobile devices copied Apple products.

Apple last week added the S III to the "copycat" list in its complaint filed with a US court.