Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Sales Soar on Samsung's Home Turf

— -- Apple has gained significant market share in Samsung's home country of South Korea due to the company's successful bet on making bigger iPhones.

Following the release of its 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, new data shows that Apple has taken a big bite out of the market shares of its closest smartphone competitors in South Korea -- Samsung and LG.

Apple was responsible for 33 percent of smartphone sales in the country in November, according to data released by Counterpoint Research.

"No foreign brand has gone beyond the 20 percent market share mark in the history of Korea's smartphone industry," said Tom Kang, Counterpoint's research director in South Korea. "But iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have made a difference here, denting the competition's phablet sales."

Apple also gained a bigger slice of the market in Japan, according to Counterpoint, soaring to 51 percent of the market share in November.

Shares of Apple stock opened at $112.32 today, up more than 40 percent in the past year. The company will report earnings for its first fiscal quarter on Jan. 27.