Global handset sales down 8.6 per cent

A mixed bag of numbers have come out of Gartner recently, with global mobile phone sales in 1Q09 pegged at 269.1 million units – down 8.6 per cent from 12 months earlier.

This is despite what Gartner calls ‘signs of recovery’ in North America and China, with the company point out that the figures equate to the biggest quarter-on-quarter contraction of the market since 2001 and the first time it has fallen year-on-year.

However, the good news is that smartphone sales hit 36.4 million units, representing a 12.7 per cent increase from 1Q08.

In fact, smartphone sales accounted for 13.5 per cent of all mobile device sales in 1Q09, compared with 11 per cent in 1Q08. Gartner attributes the trend to good sales at Research In Motion and Apple.

Nokia continued to lead the mobile phone market in 1Q09, but its share dropped to 36.2 per cent from 39.1 per cent a year earlier.

Samsung retained second place and improved its market share as sales totalled 51.4 million units. Motorola overtook Sony Ericsson to regain fourth place.