August sales of the Galaxy S3 from Samsung Electronics (Seoul: 005930) surpassed those for the iPhone 4S from Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) in the U.S. for the first time, said analyst T. Michael Walkley, of Cannacord Genuity.

To be sure, many consumers may have stopped buying new smartphones from Apple, of Cupertino, Calif., because they expected the iPhone 4S was on the verge of replacement by the iPhone 5 or another model. On Tuesday, Apple invited guests to what appeared to be the iPhone 5 introduction in San Francisco on Sept. 12.

Walkley polled the four top wireless carriers in August in order to publish his note to investors. Apple previously reported sales of iPhone 4S models slipped sharply in its last fiscal quarter because of the expected upgrade.

Last month, a jury in U.S. District Court in San Jose, Calif., awarded Apple $1.05 billion in civil damages after determining Samsung had infringed upon several Apple patents to devise the Galaxy phones and tablets.

Shares of Apple rose $9.73 to $674.97 in Tuesday trading.

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