Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy S4 was the most sold smartphone in the world in August, data showed on Wednesday.

According to the data compiled by Hong Kong-based Counterpoint Technology Market Research, an estimated 5 million units of the Galaxy S4 smartphone were sold in August, but the figure was sharply down from its monthly peak of 7 million in June.

The sales of the Galaxy S4 remained strong but was offset by other Galaxy smart devices such as the Galaxy S3, the data showed.

The Galaxy Note 2 and two other smart devices made by Samsung were included in the top 10 best-selling list as well, according to the data.

Samsung took the No. 1 position in the premium smartphone market of phones above the $400 price point in May this year, displacing Apple Inc. for the first time.

Counterpoint said the premium smartphone market is at a stalemate but that overall it is still growing.

The Galaxy S4, with a 5-inch full-HD Super AMOLED display, is equipped with features that detect a user's face, voice and motions to enable screen control without directly touching the device.

The "Smart Pause" feature, for instance, pauses a video when a user looks away, then resumes when the user turns back to the screen. The "Smart Scroll" feature also allows a user to scroll up and down without touching the screen.

The smartphone also offers "air view" and "air gesture" features that allow users to control their smartphone displays by moving their fingers just above the screen. (Yonhap News)