Data & Research

Mobile shipments up 16% in Q4 2010 to 390 million reckons ABI

Nokia still top dog, Samsung a solid second

Mobile shipments up 16% in Q4 2010 to 390 million reckons ABI
One aspect of IDC's take on the smartphone market in Q4 2010 that largely went unnoticed was its assessment of Samsung.

Though its shipments rose to 80.7 million units across the course of the quarter, the firm noted its share of the market actually fell a touch, down 0.1 percent to 20.1 percent in all.

That's a factor rival firm ABI Research has spent time detailing in its own look at the market last quarter, noting that the Korean firm is surprisingly treading water in the midst of a mobile market enjoying considerable growth across the globe.

Mobile might

The firm estimates 390 million handsets were shipped throughout Q4 2010 – up 15.6 percent year on year - taking the total for the year up to 1.36 billion.

"This is a remarkable turnaround given that just one year ago, 2009 shipments had contracted 4.4 percent year on year," the firm notes in its release.

Like IDC, ABI Research claims Nokia still leads the way, though the Finnish firm's share did slip marginally to 31.7 percent, mainly because its smartphone portfolio is "yet to gain traction".

Samsung holds second spot, and while ABI believes its share rose slightly to 20.7 percent – opposed to IDC's view – the firm claims even the success of its smartphone business with Galaxy S didn't offset a less stellar performance from its feature phones.

Android angst

As a result, while Samsung might be growing the smartphone market, such successes don't yet translate to growth in the mobile market as a whole.

Samsung is, however, doing better than some of its Android rivals.

LG, Sony Ericsson and Motorola all saw their global market share contract in Q4 2010, ABI Research notes, accounting for 7.8 percent, 2.9 percent and 2.9 percent respectively. As claimed by IDC, their loss of share is largely down to increasing pressure from the cheaper Android handsets offered by the likes of ZTE Huawei.

Indeed, its Android's rivals iOS and BlackBerry that the firm notes made most ground in Q4 2010, finishing on 4.2 percent and 3.6 percent respectively.

[source: BusinessWire]

With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.