26th October - According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global mobile phone shipments grew a modest 12 percent year-over-year, to reach 285 million units in Q3 2007. Samsung and Nokia were the star performers.

Neil Mawston, Associate Director at Strategy Analytics said, “Total global cell phone shipments remain relatively sluggish, at just 12 percent annual growth, but Samsung and Nokia continue to surge ahead. Samsung is the fastest-growing top-five brand, with 47 percent annual shipment growth. Meanwhile, Nokia has easily the highest operating margin among all megavendors, with a 22 percent rate in its handset division.”

Bonny Joy, Analyst at Strategy Analytics, added, “The rise of Samsung and Nokia is coming partly at the expense of Sony Ericsson and Motorola. Samsung is rapidly picking up share in 3G feature phones, where Sony Ericsson has seen much recent success, while Nokia continues to outsell Motorola in the entry-tier GSM segment of emerging markets.”

Other findings from Strategy Analytics’ Q3 2007 Global Handset Market Share Update report include:

We expect component shortages to have a minor impact on the global handset market, trimming a modest 5 million units from the potential total demand during Q4 2007. We do not expect a ‘bleedover’ into Q1 2008 and the situation should normalize by January;

LG maintained its recent upward trend. Strong demand for entry-tier CDMA and GSM phones in emerging markets helped it grow at its quickest rate for 18 months;

As predicted by Strategy Analytics, Apple quadrupled device shipments sequentially, to hit 1.1 million units in Q3 2007, for a 0.4% worldwide share. The European launch of the iPhone, in November 2007, will be a critical test of whether Apple can leverage its hype outside the home USA market and prove that it is not just a one-trick pony.