Samsung’s prepay market share has overtaken Nokia, according to senior industry sources. It edged ahead by one percentage point, and is trailing by just half a percent on contract.

The Korean manufacturer has been boosted by a combination of its prepay handsets taking the top three spots in the prepay charts, notably the J700 and E250.

It has also been buoyed by keener prices for its trade customers and a broader range. The manufacturer is believed to be hopeful it can get the number one spot once it ranges more devices on 3 – a network it wasn’t present on until last month.

Its flagship Tocco device is believed to be selling at around 15,000 per week. One network source said: ‘Tocco is doing well on all networks and they’ve priced it aggressively. We are looking to see what they will do to prices for Christmas.’