Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy S5 saw its monthly sales fall behind Apple Inc.'s iPhone 5s in May, a report showed Tuesday, reflecting the market's dull reaction to the new Galaxy lacking cutting-edge features.

Apple's latest flagship product, launched in September 2013, ranked first on a list of the top 10 most-sold smartphones around the globe last month, outselling Samsung's latest Galaxy model, which only commenced official sales in April, the report released by Hong Kong-based researcher Counterpoint showed.

"Apple's iPhone 5s continues to be the best-selling phone in the world, a spot that many expected to be taken by Samsung's Galaxy S5," the report said. It did not provide detailed figures on the respective models, but added the research was conducted in 35 countries.

Samsung's Galaxy S4 and Note 3 ranked third and fourth, respectively, the report also showed. The two were trailed by Apple's iPhone 5c and iPhone 4s. The South Korean player's Galaxy S4 mini and low-end Galaxy Grand 2 were also included in the top 10.

While Samsung and Apple dominated the rankings, China-based Xiaomi had two models, the MI3 and Hongmi Redrice, in the seventh and ninth spots.

"Outside of the top 10 list, Sony's Xperia Z1 came in close. Motorola's Moto G, along with Huawei's Honor 3C and LG's G2, made it into the top 20. Next month, we expect to see the Nokia X in the ranks of best sellers as it is moving up fast after just two months of sales," Counterpoint added.

The researcher said based on the May figure, the sales of phablet models, a cross between smartphones and tablet PCs which features wider displays, will continue to grow in the near future.

Samsung's Note 3, Galaxy Grand 2, and Xiaomi's Hongmi Redrice are categorized as phablets.

"There are now three phablets in the top 10 list, which reflects the ongoing trend of larger displays," Counterpoint said.

"Almost 40 percent of the smartphones sold in May were phablets...If Apple comes out with a phablet later this year, it will instantly become a hit and top the list of phablets within two months of availability."

Last week, Samsung, the world's biggest technology firm by revenue, estimated its second-quarter operating profit at a sharply lower-than-expected 7.2 trillion won ($7.07 billion) amid a slowdown in its smartphone business.

The estimate represents a 24.4 percent fall from its operating profit of 9.53 trillion won last year. Analysts here attributed the sluggish earnings to slow sales of Samsung handsets, both at the low-end and high-end levels.

Despite a built-in heart rate monitor, fingerprint security and

water- and dust-resistant features, industry watchers have been raising concerns that the new Galaxy lacked an innovative touch, which really matters to consumers.

The combined shipment of the Galaxy S5 is estimated at 17 million units over the April-June period, compared with 20 million units for the Galaxy S4 in the first three months since its launch.

Analysts added that over the next three-month period ahead, sales estimates for the Galaxy S5 stand at 6 million units, which compares with 16 million units for the Galaxy S4 over the same period.

Samsung is estimated to have shipped 79 million smartphones in the second quarter, compared with 89 million in the previous quarter. (Yonhap)