South Korean electronic giant, Samsung Electronics has said that it is raising its target to sell smartphones to 25 million this year and also aims to double its shipments next year, according to reports.

Samsung had set a target to sell 18 million units this year but the popularity of its Android-based Galaxy S model has made the company raise its target for the year by 7 million more smartphones in global sales.

JK Shin, head of Samsung's Mobile Communications division said at a Berlin event that the company expects to sell 50 million units next year. The Galaxy was released in June year to compete against the popular iPhone from Apple.

The Samsung Galaxy S sold three million units on 100 carriers around the world. Company officials say that the device is bring the company into the smartphone market and is over performing and exceeding expectations.

Samsung has been a late entrant in the smartphone market with competitors like Nokia, Research In Motion, Apple and HTC. According to research firm IDC, Samsung had a 4.8 percent market share in the last quarter.

Meanwhile, the company has also announced the launch of its new Samsung Galaxy Tab Android tablet on Thursday.