Egham, England – Worldwide mobile phone sales totaled 417 million
units during the third quarter, up 35% from last year, while smartphone sales
grew 96% to 81 million and accounted for nearly 20% of all mobile sales during
the quarter, according to a report from market research firm Gartner.
"This
is the third consecutive double-digit increase in sales year-on-year,
indicating that consumer demand is healthy," said Carolina Milanesi, research
vice president at Gartner.
"Smartphone OS providers have entered a period
of accelerated platform evolution, stimulated by more regular product releases,
new platform entrants and new device types," added Gartner analyst Roberta
Cozza.
"Any platform that fails to innovate quickly — either through a
vibrant multi-player ecosystem or clear vision of a single controlling entity
— will lose developers, manufacturers, potential partners and ultimately
users."
Gartner forecasts that sales of media tablets like the iPad —
which are forecast to reach 54.8 million units next year — may have an impact
on mobile device sales.
Related Links:
http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1466313
