The first thing that comes to mind when I look at the latest IDC Mobile Phone report is: who is buying all of these phones? Is cell phone turnover that high these days? Also take into account that these are just quarterly results.
Top 5
1. Nokia
2. Samsung
3. LG
4. Apple
5. Research In Motion
Despite the number shipped (110 million) Nokia is in trouble and they’ve been in trouble for a while now. The Symbian OS is flawed and it’s traditional European stronghold market is under fire from increased competition. Nokia has the most to lose. Unfortunately the good old days are over. Keep building quality phones, cut staff, and other costs, ditch Symbian, and learn to live with a smaller market share.
The biggest gains will come from Apple (obviously) as they continue to penetrate new markets and sign agreements with local carriers. They aren’t concerned so much with overall units shipped in comparison to profits. So long as they continue to sign profitable agreements with international carriers willing to bend to their will, Apple will continue their methodical approach to entering certain countries.
Research In Motion (RIM) is also looking good. While they aren’t going to be number 1 with their current phone offerings they are positioned well to stay in the top 5. The handset viewed as the business person’s smartphone is a strong competitor to the Apple iPhone. Growth should continue but not as the same rate as Apple.
Expect Samsung and LG’s numbers to drop going forward. While Samsung might hang on in the short term with the success of the Galaxy line it won’t for long. I would expect compelling handsets from HTC and Sony Ericsson to put a dent in their units shipped.
For consumers, let’s hope cheaper, non-contract phones flood the market for our hard earned money. New features, cheaper voice and data plans, and don’t forget, awesome phones.
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