I'm not certain if a single handset has outsold the flagship iPhone previously (certainly Android as a whole has). However, I believe this is the first time a flagship quality handset from a competitor that is basically eating the Android market has come out in the few months preceding an iPhone.

Yes. Every year.

Edit: archgrove speaks of the pre-release lull, not the competitor's sales figures. By 'this' MatthewPhillips can only be referring to the lull. If MatthewPhillips had meant SIII sales numbers, he should have clarified the antecedent of his pronoun. Ergo, sp332 is still correct that this is the first time a competitor has outsold iPhone and I am still correct that this lull happens every year - these facts are not mutually exclusive.

There is a lull before the announcement every year. That said, this is the first time a competitor has outsold them.