Reports indicate that the fourth quarter of 2004 was the best ever for mobile phone shipments, which saw a 24-29% increase during the quarter.
Among the companies that finished the year on such a strong note was Nokia. According to a study by IDC, the fourth quarter was Nokia’s second consecutive quarter with market share above 30%. Motorola, which was second to Nokia, had 16.4% of the fourth quarter market share. Rounding out the list was Samsung, LG Electronics, and Siemens.
Ramon Llamas, research analyst in IDC’s Mobile Devices Group, had these comments, “Growth during the fourth quarter was largely fueled by vendors who offered a balanced portfolio of innovative features, technology, and style. Additionally, vendors continued to upgrade their product lines, improving features such as improved screen and camera capabilities as well as introducing more phones with 3G technology. Combined with phones introduced earlier in the year, vendors were able to offer a range of entry-level, mid-range, and high-end phones.
Now that there is more clarity among the top three spots, the competition will continue to heat up for the final two positions. The difference in shipments between LG Electronics and Siemens is slight, with recent public comments questioning the latter’s opportunity going forward. Sony Ericsson trails closely behind the two, poised to re-enter the top five.”
The following is a table of the top 5 worldwide mobile phone vendors:
Rank Vendor 2004 Shipments 2004 Market Share 1 Nokia 207,600,000 31.2% 2 Motorola 104,500,000 15.7% 3 Samsung 86,500,000 13.0% 4 Siemens 49,400,000 7.4% 5 LG Electronics 44,400,000 6.7% Other 172,000,000 25.9% Total 664,500,000 100.0%
Chris Richardson is a search engine writer and editor for Murdok. Visit Murdok for the latest search news.
