SEOUL (Reuters) - Apple Inc overtook Samsung Electronics Co Ltd as the world's top smartphone maker in the fourth quarter of last year, with the South Korean company selling about half a million fewer smartphones than its rival, research firm Strategy Analytics said on Friday.

Apple sold 37 million iPhones and Samsung sold 36.5 million smartphone handsets, giving each a respective 23.9 percent and 23.5 percent market share.

(Reporting by Miyoung Kim; Editing by Chris Lewis)