WIRELESS AND MOBILE NEWS

Bonny Joy, Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said, “Global cellphone shipments rose to 1.12 billion units in 2007, up 12 percent from 1.00 billion in 2006. We expect the economic environment to be tougher this year and forecast slower growth of 10 percent, for 1.24 billion units worldwide in 2008.”

Other findings from the Strategy Analytics Q4 2007 Global Handset Market Share Update report include:

- Motorola registered 12.3 percent global share in Q4 2007, down sharply from 22.4 percent in Q4 2006. A failure to replace the popular Razr model has been the main cause of decline;

- Sony Ericsson continued to slow down. Its annual growth rate has plunged in recent quarters. Improved handset portfolios from Samsung, LG and Nokia are starting to have a competitive impact on Sony Ericsson.

- Apple shipped 2.3 million iPhone units worldwide, for a healthy 0.6 percent share in Q4 2007. We predict Apple to be among the world’s top ten vendors by the end of 2008;

Neil Mawston, Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “During the fourth quarter of 2007, 332 million mobile phones were shipped globally. Nokia was the star performer, registering a record 40% share. Despite fierce competition from ambitious rivals such as Samsung and Apple, Nokia still managed to gain ground last year. A famous brand, attractive handset lineup, strong technology portfolio and the industry’s best logistics have enabled Nokia to achieve this impressive milestone.”

Global Mobile Handset Shipments and Market Share — Top 5 Vendors

Source: Strategy Analytics, Inc.