SEOUL - Samsung Electronics, the world's largest mobile phone maker, said Friday that global sales of its Galaxy smartphone series topped 50 million units, reflecting growing demand for the Galaxy-branded devices.

Cumulative global sales of Galaxy S2, Samsung's flagship smartphone, surpassed 28 million units as of now, with sales for Galaxy S exceeding 24 million units, according to an e-mailed statement.

The Galaxy S2 recorded the fastest sales growth in the tech firm's history, topping the 28 million mark around 13 months after its debut. The Galaxy S tightened its grip on the smartphone market as a steady seller by surpassing the 24 million mark around 2 years after its launch, Samsung said.  

Meanwhile, global sales of Galaxy Note that is not only a tablet but also a smartphone topped 7 million units since the Galaxy-branded device was launched in October last year, according to Samsung.

The tech firm said that brisk sales of the Galaxy Note helped enhance the Galaxy-brand position in the global market.

Samsung overtook Nokia as the world's largest handset maker for the first time in the first quarter of this year. According to market researcher Strategy Analytics, shipment of Samsung handsets was estimated to reach 83.5 million units in the first quarter, larger than Nokia's 82.7 million units.