Mobile phone sales soar: study
Thursday, 20 May 2010
PARIS, May 19, (AFP): Global mobile phone sales soared by 17 per cent in the first quarter, driven by smartphone models, the Gartner tech industry research house said today.
For the three months to March, some 314 million mobile phones were sold, of which 54.3 million were smartphone models which allow users to access the Internet on the move, Gartner said.
Finland's Nokia kept hold of first place in the overall global mobile phone market althought its share slipped to 35 per cent from 36.2 per cent a year earlier.
South Korea's Samsung was second, increasing its market share to 20.6 per cent from 19.1 per cent, followed by local rival LG which fell to 8.6 per cent from 9.9 per cent.
Japanese-Swedish combine Sony-Ericcson was in fifth place followed by Motorola of the United States.
Gartner said that in the first quarter sales of smartphones showed the biggest jump since 2006, with RIM of Canada's BlackBerry gaining 45.9 per cent from the figure 12 months earlier.
For the three months to March, some 314 million mobile phones were sold, of which 54.3 million were smartphone models which allow users to access the Internet on the move, Gartner said.
Finland's Nokia kept hold of first place in the overall global mobile phone market althought its share slipped to 35 per cent from 36.2 per cent a year earlier.
South Korea's Samsung was second, increasing its market share to 20.6 per cent from 19.1 per cent, followed by local rival LG which fell to 8.6 per cent from 9.9 per cent.
Japanese-Swedish combine Sony-Ericcson was in fifth place followed by Motorola of the United States.
Gartner said that in the first quarter sales of smartphones showed the biggest jump since 2006, with RIM of Canada's BlackBerry gaining 45.9 per cent from the figure 12 months earlier.