Nokia out: Samsung, Apple, RIM, ZTE and HTC are top 5 smartphone makers in Q3 2012

Telecom Lead India: Nokia is not in top 5 smartphone vendor list. Samsung, Apple, Research In Motion, ZTE and HTC are the top 5 smartphone makers in Q3 2012.

IDC said the global mobile phone market grew 2.4 percent in third quarter of 2012 (3Q12). Phone vendors shipped 444.5 million mobile phones in 3Q12 compared to 434.1 million units in the third quarter of 2011.

Smartphone vendors shipped 179.7 million units in 3Q12 compared to 123.7 million units in 3Q11.

Nokia was replaced by Research In Motion as a Top 5 smartphone player. Nokia lost out due to aggressive selling by Chinese phones vendors such as ZTE and Huawei. Nokia could not make any headway in China.

“Nokia’s transition away from Symbian-powered smartphones to ones shipped with Windows Phone has left ample opportunity for rivals to steal share away from Nokia over the past 18 months. However, the smartphone market is still relatively nascent, which means there’s room for multiple vendors and operating systems to flourish, including Nokia,” said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC.

Samsung’s growth was fueled in large part by its broad, deep, and refreshed Android portfolio, highlighted by the full quarter availability of its flagship model Galaxy S III. In addition, the company announced multiple mid-range and mass-market models, including a new Windows Phone, the ATIV S.

For Apple, though the iPhone 5 was only on the market for one week in 3Q12, the aggressive rollout of the device resulted in more than 5 million iPhones sold in the first weekend of availability, which helped buoy Apple’s shipment totals.

RIM relied on its older product portfolio and models to achieve its status as a top 5 smartphone seller. RIM’s installed base, which topped 80 million active users during the quarter, provides further evidence of the company’s widespread presence globally.

ZTE has grown its smartphone sales of late thanks primarily to an uptick in lower-cost smartphone sales in many emerging markets. The company has traditionally been dependent on sales of phones to China, where the company is based. However, notable progress was made in North America last quarter.

HTC clung to the number 5 smartphone spot last quarter thanks to sales of key models such as the HTC One X and the EVO 4G. The company hopes to rejuvenate its global fortunes this quarter with the introduction of the 8X and 8S models, powered by Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8, among others.

Meanwhile, ABI Research said handset shipments decreased 1.9 percent to 387.3 million units in Q3 2012. Global smartphone shipments increased 32.8 percent to 155.5 million over the same period. Samsung retained the lead position in both handset and smartphone shipments. Samsung shipped more than double the smartphones of second place Apple.

According to Strategy Analytics, global smartphone shipments grew 35 percent annually to reach 162 million units in the third quarter of 2012. Samsung achieved a record 35 percent global share. Apple held second position, while Nokia slipped outside the top three rankings.

Top Five Smartphone Vendors, Shipments, and Market Share, 2012 Q3
(Units in Millions)
3Q12 Unit 3Q12 Market 3Q11 Unit 3Q11 Market Year-over-
Vendor Shipments Share Shipments Share year Change
Samsung 56.3 31.3 percent 28.1 22.7 percent 100.4 percent
Apple 26.9 15.0 percent 17.1 13.8 percent 57.3 percent
Research In
Motion 7.7 4.3 percent 11.8 9.6 percent -34.7 percent
ZTE 7.5 4.2 percent 4.1 3.3 percent 82.9 percent
HTC 7.3 4.0 percent 12.7 10.3 percent -42.5 percent
Others 74.0 41.2 percent 49.9 40.3 percent 48.3 percent
Total 179.7 100.0 percent 123.7 100.0 percent 45.3 percent
Source: IDC Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, October 25, 2012

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