Consumer electronics giant Samsung said this weekend that its popular Galaxy S2 smartphone sold over 10 million units globally, making it the most-sold Android phone in the world, but it still has a ways to go before it catches up to Apple.

The Asian company's flagship device -- seen as a viable threat to Apple's iPhone -- doubled units sold in just eight weeks, the company said. Overall, the 10 million milestone was reached in little less than two fiscal quarter's time.

In just five months the Galaxy S2 has seen tremendous growth, reflecting its tremendous popularity with customers around the world, who in selecting the Galaxy S2 as their device of choice have driven the device's strong market position globally, said JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung's Mobile Communications Business.

While the sales figures make the Galaxy S2 the most-popular Android-based phone, the sales are still small in comparison to arch-rival Apple. In the second quarter alone Apple sold 20 million iPhone devices.

But Samsung is taking the battle to Apple's home turf, recently introducing the device to U.S. consumers and approaching large U.S retailers.

Samsung is rolling out the device at select carriers and other outlets in the U.S. market this quarter, already getting the world's largest retailer, WalMart, onboard last week.

WalMart's Galaxy S2 will run on Sprint's 4G network, and it will be sold for only $99, a full $100 less than Samsung had originally announced, and also less than its biggest competitor, the iPhone 4.

Pre-orders are expected to be filled on September 16, the same day it will become available on WalMart shelves.

U.S consumers first got a taste of the device on August 30 at its flagship store in New York, marking the first time the device has become available in the States.

The unveiling of the Galaxy S II is a landmark achievement for Samsung, our carrier customers and consumers, said Dale Sohn, president of Samsung Mobile.

The company had previously rolled out the device in international markets, selling 5 million units in just 85 days, making it Samsung's top-selling mobile device.

The features rival the current iPhone 4, considered one of the best phones in the U.S. market, and it even rivals the rumored specs of the forthcoming iPhone 5.

Apple has accused Samsung of slavishly copying its own iPhone, saying the design and features infringe upon Apple's intellectual property.

The Cupertino-Calif. Based company scored a victory this month as Dutch courts ruled that devices from rival Samsung would not be allowed on shelves in the Netherlands.

But no such ruling has yet been made in the U.S., Apple's home market.

The Galaxy S2 will be carried on AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint, with pricing to be determined by respective carriers. So far the iPhone is carried on Verizon and AT&T in the U.S., with reports suggesting Sprint is next.

The phones will feature a 4.3-inch, Super AMOLED 800x480 screen, a dual core 1.2-GHz processor, making it more powerful than the iPhone 4.

The new phone will also get the 4G treatment, offering data speeds up to four times faster than what is expected in Apple's forthcoming iPhone 5.

While unconfirmed, many analysts believe that Apple's next generation phone will forego 4G, believing the company feels the technology is too immature.

Smartphones are seeing generally impressive growth, rising a healthy 76 percent annually to reach 110 million units in the second quarter, and both manufacturers are locked in fierce competition.

Samsung had the most astounding growth for the quarter in the smartphone sector, propelling it to become the No. 2 smartphone vendor in the world.

In July, the phone celebrated 3 million units sold globally, a number it achieved in just 55 days. It has also been the top seller for 17 consecutive weeks in United Kingdom, where Samsung first launched the Galaxy S2 and recently surged to rank No. 1 in Austria as well, in terms of Smartphone market share.

Despite Samsung's stellar growth, Apple so far retains the crown as the No. 1 smartphone vender in the world.

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