Mobile Handset Sales Grow in 2009
Global mobile phone sales rose 10% year over year and 11.3 percent last quarter according to two research firms, Strategy Analytics and IDC.
Strategy Analytics said global handset shipments reached 324 million units last quarter, which represented a 10% gain over the same quarter in 2008.
Nokia, Samsung, and LG held the top spots in global market share during the quarter, with Samsung creeping up on Nokia’s 39.8% market share. Strategy Analytics found that Samsung shipped 69 million phones globally in Q4, a company record that was up 31% over the year before quarter. Likewise, and not surprisingly, Apple shipped a record 8.7 million iPhones during the fourth quarter and grabbed a 2.7% hold of the global phone market. Motorola said yesterday that it estimates it holds a 3.7% share of the global phone market.
2009 4Q Global Handset Shipments And Market Share (Units in millions)
| Vendor | 4Q09 | 4Q Mkt Shr | 3Q09 | 3Q Mkt Shr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nokia | 126.9 | 39.1% | 108.5 | 37.4% |
| Samsung | 69.0 | 21.3% | 60.2 | 20.7% |
| LG | 33.9 | 10.5% | 31.6 | 10.9% |
| Sony Ericsson | 14.6 | 4.5% | 14.1 | 4.9% |
| Motorola | 12.0 | 3.7% | 13.6 | 4.7% |
| Others | 68.0 | 21.0% | 62.2 | 21.4% |
| Total | 324.4 | 100.0% | 290.2 | 100.0% |
Source: Strategy Analytics
Research firm IDC offered a similar outlook on the global market by stating that phone sales grew 11.3% in the fourth quarter. It said vendors sold 1.13 billion phones worldwide during the year, which was down 5.2 percent from 2008. Despite a flat market in Asia and a decreasing one in Latin America, sales in North America and Western Europe increased year over year. The firm also listed Nokia, Samsung, and LG as the market leaders with Nokia maintaining a 38.7% market share, Samsung a 17.1% share, and LG with an 8.8% share. The report said Motorola and Sony Ericsson lost market share.
Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors, Shipments, and Market Share, Q4 2009 (Units in Millions)
|
Vendor |
4Q09 Shipment Volumes |
4Q09 Market Share |
4Q08 Shipment Volumes |
4Q08 Market Share |
4Q09/4Q08 Growth |
| 1. Nokia |
126.9 |
39.0% |
113.1 |
38.7% |
12.2% |
| 2. Samsung |
68.8 |
21.1% |
52.8 |
18.1% |
30.3% |
| 3. LG |
33.9 |
10.4% |
25.7 |
8.8% |
31.9% |
| 4. Sony Ericsson |
14.6 |
4.5% |
24.2 |
8.3% |
-39.7% |
| 5. Motorola |
12.0 |
3.7% |
19.2 |
6.6% |
-37.5% |
| Others |
69.1 |
21.2% |
57.4 |
19.6% |
20.4% |
| Total |
325.3 |
100.0% |
292.4 |
100.0% |
11.3% |
Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, January 28, 2009
