[Strategy Analytics reports global mobile phone shipments topped one billion units last year.]

Boston -- According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global mobile phone shipments grew a healthy 25 percent year-over-year, to reach an all-time record total of 1 billion units in 2006. It has taken the industry 23 years to reach this milestone.

Neil Mawston, Associate Director at Strategy Analytics said, "Mobile phone sales have exploded from less than 100,000 units in 1983 to 100 million units in 1997 and have now passed the 1-billion level in 2006. During that time, mobile phones have become a critical driver of innovation and profit for the world's semiconductor, memory, battery and display industries."

Bonny Joy, Analyst at Strategy Analytics, added, "300 million cellular handsets were shipped worldwide in Q4 2006, up a healthy 22 percent year-on-year. Nokia and Motorola continued to dominate volumes, but it was Sony Ericsson who shone brightest. Growth, volumes, revenues and total profits are all at their highest ever levels for the Japanese-Swedish firm."

Other findings from Strategy Analytics' Q4 2006 Global Handset Market Share Update report include:

* In Dollar revenue terms, Sony Ericsson (US$4.9 billion) became the world's third largest handset vendor, overtaking Samsung (US$4.6 billion) for the first time;

* Strategy Analytics forecasts 12 percent shipment growth during 2007, for 1.14 billion units. Emerging markets, notably India and Africa, will continue to be the main engines for volume, but not profit, growth.

Exhibit 1: 2006 Global Mobile Phone Shipments and Market Share Estimates - Top 5 Vendors

Global Shipments (Millions of Units)

---------Q4'05 2005 Q4'06 2006---------

Nokia 83.7 264.9 105.5 347.5

Motorola 44.7 146.0 65.7 217.4

Samsung 27.2 102.9 32.0 118.0

Sony Ericsson 16.1 51.1 26.0 74.8

LG 16.2 54.9 17.0 64.4

Others 57.6 197.4 53.4 196.7

Total 245.5 817.2 299.6 1018.8

Global Share %

----------Q4'05 2005 Q4'06 2006--------

Nokia 34.1% 32.4% 35.2% 34.1%

Motorola 18.2% 17.9% 21.9% 21.3%

Samsung 11.1% 12.6% 10.7% 11.6%

Sony Ericsson 6.6% 6.3% 8.7% 7.3%

LG 6.6% 6.7% 5.7% 6.3%

Others 23.5% 24.2% 17.8% 19.3%

Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

More...

Back to Headlines...