Although ABI Research has calculated that total mobile phone shipments fell to 387.3 million units in the past quarter, the International Data Corporation has just published figures showing an increase. It says the worldwide mobile phone market grew 2.4% year-on-year in Q3 2012 to 444.5 million mobile phones.
When it comes to smartphones, it reckons 179.7 million units were shipped in the quarter; a 45.3% increase on Q3 2011.
Samsung maintained its leadership of the smartphone segment, followed by Apple. RIM held on to third place, although its market share has dropped significantly in the past 12 months, with ZTE in fourth place and HTC in fifth. Nokia is no longer in the ‘top five’ smartphone chart.
Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst at IDC, said “Nokia’s share losses have meant gains for competitors. The company’s transition away from Symbian-powered smartphones to ones shipped with Windows Phone has left ample opportunity for rivals to steal share away from Nokia over the past 18 months. However, the smartphone market is still relatively nascent, which means there’s room for multiple vendors and operating systems to flourish, including Nokia.”
IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker: top five smartphone vendors
|
|
Q3 2012 shipments (million)
|
Q3 2012 market share
|
Q3 2011 shipments (million)
|
Q3 2011 market share
|
Year-on-year change
|
|
Samsung
|
56.3
|
31.3%
|
28.1
|
22.7%
|
100.4%
|
|
Apple
|
26.9
|
15.0%
|
17.1
|
13.8%
|
57.3%
|
|
Research In Motion
|
7.7
|
4.3%
|
11.8
|
9.6%
|
-34.7%
|
|
ZTE
|
7.5
|
4.2%
|
4.1
|
3.3%
|
82.9%
|
|
HTC
|
7.3
|
4.0%
|
12.7
|
10.3%
|
-42.5%
|
|
Others
|
74.0
|
41.2%
|
49.9
|
40.3%
|
48.3%
|
|
Total
|
179.7
|
|
123.7
|
|
45.3%
|
Overall, Samsung has the largest share of total mobile phone sales (23.7%), followed by Nokia (18.7%) and then Apple (6.1%).
[Smartphone market share comparison; report]