Record 1 billion cell phones sold in 2007

Based on the market research released by Gartner, in 2007 the mobile phone market registered more than 1.15 billion units sold. This is more than 16% increase compared to 2006 (990.9 million units sold). The developing markets (China, India and others) played a great role in boosting the numbers. In the developed countries, such as the US, Canada, Germany, France etc., most of the consumers already had their phones, but were looking for replacements with better functionality (hi-res cameras, TV support, GPS, etc.).

The leader in sales for 2007 is Nokia with 435 million units sold. In Q4, the Finnish company managed to gain 40% of the market share, but it will still need to stabilize its positions in the US. Perhaps it should try to offer some of its N-series with a service by one of the major wireless players on the mainland.

Company	2007 Sales	2007 Market Share (%)	2006 Sales	2006 Market Share (%)
Nokia	435,453.1	37.8	344,915.9	34.8
Motorola	164,307.0	14.3	209,250.9	21.1
Samsung	154,540.7	13.4	116,480.1	11.8
Sony Ericsson	101,358.4	8.8	73,641.6	7.4
LG	78,576.3	6.8	61,986.0	6.3
Others	218,604.3	18.9	184,588.0	18.6
TOTAL	1,152,839.8	100.0	990,862.5	100.0

Note* This table includes iDEN shipments, but excludes ODM to OEM shipments.
Source: Gartner (February 2008)

The only manufacturer that lost market share in 2007 is Motorola, which resulted in placing the company at number three on the global market. Motorola Executives do not expect a major turnaround this year and as reported earlier, the company might sell its mobile division.
All the other players, such as Samsung, LG, and the Swedish-Japanese Sony Ericsson managed to gain market share in 2007.

In 2008, Gartner expects the sales to slow down a bit, by growing only 10%. This year, North America and Western Europe will account for 30% of global mobile device sales. The company’s analysts also note the appearance of new players like the Chinese ZTE, which specializes in low-end mobile phones at extremely attractive prices. Others like RIM and Apple offer innovative feature-rich devices designed to get the most out of the data services offered.

Considering the other companies with interesting ideas, which are supposed to enter the scene, like Google with its Android, Modu, and Garmin’s Nuvifone, we expect 2008 to be a year rich in events.

source: Gartner via Crave