Smartphone sales will surpass worldwide PC sales by the end of 2011, RBC says. Global mobile phone sales totalled 286.1 mln units in Q2 2009, a 6.1% decrease from Q2 2008, according to Gartner. However, smartphone sales surpassed 40 mln units, a 27% increase from Q2 2007, representing the fastest-growing segment of the mobile-devices market.
Top-selling smartphones in Q1 2009
Based on US consumer sales of smartphone handsets in NPD’s report, Q1 2009 ranking of the top-five best-selling smartphones is as follows:
- RIM BlackBerry Curve (all 83XX models)
- Apple iPhone 3G (all models)
- RIM BlackBerry Storm
- RIM BlackBerry Pearl (all models, except flip)
- T-Mobile G1
58% of Americans have a mobile phone with Web connectivity
58% of online consumers currently own a mobile phone capable of connecting to the Web. Of the online consumers with Web-enabled phones, 21% own a smartphone, 8% own an iPhone(TM), and 29% own another type of Web-enabled phone. 42% of PriceGrabber survey respondents said they own a non-Web-enabled phone capable of using voice and text service plans only. iPhone, released on June 29, 2007, jump-started mainstream smartphone adoption, with 75% more online consumers purchasing their first Web-enabled phone in 2007 compared with 2006. Despite the economic climate, 8% of online consumers purchased their first Web-enabled phone in Q1 2009.
10% of online consumers said they purchase online from their mobile device, 16% compare prices and another 16% research product details/specifications. Of the online consumers making purchases from their mobile phones, 58% have purchased digital content for their phone, 51% have purchased consumer electronics, 37% have purchased computers, 36% have purchased books, and 31% have purchased clothing. Smartphone and iPhone owners are comfortable using the mobile Internet to make purchases. 56% of Apple iPhone owners and 28% of smartphone owners already are comparing prices online with their mobile phones. Additionally, 27% of iPhone owners and 35% of smartphone owners anticipate that they will be comparing prices within two years.
Game play among parents and non-parents
Do you ever use any of the following to play games whether or not you personally have one?
| Parents | Non- Parents | |
| Desktop or laptop | 45% | 35% |
| Game console | 41 | 22 |
| Cell phone, Blackberry, or other handheld organizer | 25 | 16 |
| Portable gaming device | 21 | 10 |
| Source: Pew Internet Project | ||
How people respond to broken gadgets
During the course of trying to fix their broken technology, respondents reported a variety of attitudes, not all of them stemming from frustration. The majority (72%) of respondents said they were “confident” that they were on the right path during the course of trying to solve the problem. Fewer respondents harbored more negative feelings about fixing their devices: about half (48%) were “discouraged” and 40% were “confused” about the problems.
| % | |
| CONFIDENT that you were on the right path to solving the problem | 72% |
| IMPATIENT to solve the problem because you had important uses for the broken technology |
59 |
| DISCOURAGED at the amount of effort needed to fix the problem |
48 |
| CONFUSED by the information that you were getting | 40 |
| Source: Pew Internet Project | |
59% or consumers get impatient when their electronics device breaks
59% of respondents reported being impatient to fix their devices, and the percentage was equal across demographic groups. Adults who are most likely to be impatient waiting for their devices to be fixed are those who had had the most devices fail, those who use their devices most, and those who rely more heavily on their devices for work or information. While emotions did not vary significantly according to the types of devices that failed, those who had more gadgets fail in the past 12 months were more likely to become impatient with fixing the problem. Respondents who had two or more devices fail in the past year were significantly more likely than those who had only one gadget fail to report being impatient to solve the problem. Similarly, those who had two devices fail were significantly more likely than those who had only one fail to be discouraged at the amount of effort needed to fix the problem.
| Confident | Impatient | Discouraged | Confused | |
| 1 failed device | 75% | 41% | 44% | 38% |
| 2 failed devices | 69 | 65 | 54 | 47 |
| 3-5 failed devices | 68 | 70 | 51 | 41 |
| Source: Pew Internet Project | ||||
66% of smartphones sold in Q4 2008 rely on 3G
According to The NPD Group, consumer sales of smartphones to US consumers represented 23% of all handset sales in Q4 2008 compared to just 12% in Q4 2007. Led by the release of iPhone 3G at $199, the average price for a smartphone fell 23% from $216 in Q4 2007 to $167 in Q4 2008. While half of smartphones on the market now sold with touch screens, 70% of all models instead offer QWERTY keyboards. 66% of smartphones now use 3G networks, compared to just 46% a year ago. 52% of smartphone buyers purchased an accessory at the time of their phone purchases, compared to just 41% among all other phone buyers.
270 mln A-GPS devices to be shipped in Europe by 2014
According to Berg Insight, the market for LBS platforms and middleware in Europe will return to growth in the coming years, with demand driven by E112 requirements and increasing adoption of A-GPS. Annual revenues in Europe for mobile location platforms, including A-GPS servers and middleware platforms, are projected to grow from about 17 mln Euros in 2008 to 34 mln Euros in 2014. Mobile operators are now responding by investing in network-based location technologies and new services. Particularly A-GPS will become very important as the installed base of GPS-enabled handsets in Europe is projected to reach 270 mln devices in 2014. Established LBS industry players will however face competition from new market entrants such as handset manufacturers and Internet players such as Google whose primary interest is to attract users for new services. In response the traditional LBS vendors will be compelled to deliver superior performance in close cooperation with mobile network operators.
WiFi handset shipments to double by year-end 2010
Shipments of Wi-Fi-enabled cellular handsets will double in volume by the end of 2010, compared to January 2008, and that growth curve is expected to continue through 2013. While Nokia leads the market in Wi-Fi-enabled handsets due to the sheer volume of its portfolio, Wi-Fi models only represent a small fraction of the range. In contrast, every Apple iPhone has Wi-Fi, and due to its ease of use and the seamless iTunes experience, more iPhone users – as many as 75% — are using their Wi-Fi regularly. Contrasting again, HTC’s handset lineup is 80% Wi-Fi-equipped, but only 10% of its users are employing the Wi-Fi capability.
240 mln GPS-enabled phones to sell in 2009
While global handset shipments are expected to drop by 4-5% in 2009, GPS-enabled phones will climb to 240 mln units, an increase of 6.4% over 2008, ABI Research predicts.
64% of Americans would consider clamshell phones, 17% – candy-bar phones
In 2006 in the United States, 80% of respondents said they would consider buying a flip, or clamshell device, compared to 64% in 2008. 17% said that they would consider a candy-bar phone for their next device, compared to 29% in 2006, Strategy Analytics said. 50% of those under age 25 favor flips, compared to 84% in 2006. 43% of consumers want their next device to be black. The next highest color was silver, favored by 15%.
9.9 mln netbooks shipped in 2008
In 2008, computer makers shipped 9.9 mln netbooks, making it one of the hottest consumer electronic products of 2008. According to IDC, 6.7 mln units went to nations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa; 1.4 mln to Asia and the Pacific; and 950,000 to the USA.
61% of users compared setting up a new phone to opening up a new bank account
61% of those interviewed in the UK and US said setting up a new handset is as challenging as moving bank accounts. 95% said they would be more likely to use new features if the initial set-up was easier.
725 mln WCDMA handsets to ship in 2009
The global mobile handset market went into a tailspin in October and November 2008, which will result in a nearly 5% YTY decline in unit shipments in Q4 2008. While 2009 is likely to see more stormy economic weather, there are a few rays of sunshine. WCDMA handset shipments are projected to grow from 258 mln in 2008 to 725 mln in 2009. By 2013, more than 67% of all handsets shipped will be 3G/3G+ capable. Smartphones captured 14% of the 2008 market and are expected to grow throughout the challenging period of 2009 and comprise 31% of the market by 2013. Cellular modems will also be a high growth sector in 2009, driven largely by USB modems which will account for 80% of the shipment volume. Market volume is expected to increase by more than 55% in the coming year as Asian vendors push forward with low-priced modems, ABI Research says.
Top mobile phones in use in Q3 2008
| Rank | Handset | Share of subscribers | ||
| 1 | Motorola RAZR V3 series | 9.3% | ||
| 2 | Motorola MotoKRZR series | 2.0% | ||
| 3 | LG VX8300 series | 1.6% | ||
| 4 | Apple iPhone | 1.5% | ||
| 5 | LG VX8500 series | 1.2% | ||
| 5 | RIM BlackBerry 8100 series | 1.2% | ||
| 7 | Nokia 6101 series | 1.1% | ||
| 8 | LG VX8350 | 1.0% | ||
| 9 | Motorola V325 series | 0.9% | ||
| 9 | Nokia 6010 series | 0.9% | ||
| Source: Nielsen | ||||
Nokia has 42.4% smartphone market share in Q3 2008
| Company | Q3 2008 Sales |
Q3 008 Market Share (%) |
Q3 2007 Sales |
Q3 2007 Market Share (%) |
Q3 2008- Q3 2007 Growth (%) |
| Nokia | 15,472 | 42.4 | 15,964 | 48.7 | -3.1 |
| Research In Motion | 5,800 | 15.9 | 3,192 | 9.7 | 81.7 |
| Apple | 4,720 | 12.9 | 1,104 | 3.4 | 327.5 |
| HTC | 1,656 | 4.5 | 1,315 | 4.0 | 25.9 |
| Sharp | 1,239 | 3.4 | 1,535 | 4.7 | -19.3 |
| Others | 7,626 | 20.9 | 9,643 | 29.4 | -20.9 |
| Total | 36,515 | 100.0 | 32,753 | 100.0 | 11.5 |
| Source: Garthner | |||||
Top-selling mobile phones in US in Q3 2008: iPhone 3G, Razr
Apple iPhone 3G surpassed the Motorola RAZR as the leading handset purchased by adult consumers in the US in Q3 of 2008.
- Apple iPhone 3G
- Motorola RAZR V3
- RIM Blackberry Curve
- LG Rumor
- LG enV2
44.7% of US mobile users looking for a phone with better Internet
44.7% of US mobile phone users surveyed say a mobile phone with better Internet capability will be a key factor in their next mobile phone purchase decision. Only 26% of mobile phone service subscribers currently opt for an Internet access plan. US mobile search advertising revenues are expected to grow from $33.2 mln in 2007 to $1.4 bln in 2012, representing a compound annual growth rate of 112%. 9.8% of respondents used their mobile phones to conduct Internet searches for products and services in their local area. During the same period, 10.7% downloaded or looked at maps, while 10.9% indicated they had downloaded search or mapping applications (for use on the Internet) to supplement those that came with their mobile phones, Kelsey Group said.
Americans who own desktops/laptops/PDAs by their job function
| Work environment | Desktop | Laptop | Blackberry or other PDA |
|
| Work longer hours |
Over 50 hours a week | 79% | 67% | 32% |
| 41-50 hours | 79 | 57 | 20 | |
| 40 hours | 75 | 45 | 15 | |
| Less than 40 hours | 76 | 40 | 17 | |
| Work from home | Frequently | 78 | 61 | 27 |
| Sometimes | 83 | 64 | 29 | |
| Never | 74 | 40 | 13 | |
| Supervise others | Yes | 82 | 57 | 25 |
| No | 73 | 45 | 15 | |
| Work with teams | 5 or more teams | 79 | 68 | 30 |
| 2-4 teams | 82 | 59 | 25 | |
| None | 71 | 35 | 17 | |
| Source: Pew Internet Project | ||||
People who still own PDAs in 2008
30% of people in these professions own PDAs, more than twice as many as the national average of 13%. 66% of professionals, managers and executives own laptops, significantly more than employed Americans in any other field of work. The semi-skilled workers can be found on the other side of the gadget ownership spectrum. They are significantly less likely than professionals, clerical workers and managers to own any of the gadgets (13% do not own any type of computer or gadget, including cell phones). Additionally, only 7% of semi-skilled workers own PDAs, compared with 19% of employed Americans who own PDAs. Only 76% of Americans working in semi-skilled trades own cell phones, while 89% of all employed Americans own cell phones, according to Pew Internet Project.
| Profession | Cell phone | Desktop | Laptop | Blackberry or other PDA |
| Professional (lawyer, doctor, teacher, accountant) | 94% | 89% | 68% | 30% |
| Clerical, office, sales | 90 | 87 | 46 | 21 |
| Manager, executive, business owner | 93 | 78 | 62 | 30 |
| Service work (waiter, hairstylist, policeman, janitor, nurses’ aide) |
88 | 69 | 36 | 10 |
| Skilled trades (electrician, plumber, carpenter) | 86 | 72 | 47 | 10 |
| Semi-skilled (assembly line worker, truck driver, bus driver) |
76 | 56 | 29 | 7 |
| Other | 88 | 71 | 50 | 22 |
| Source: Pew Internet Project | ||||
65% of unemployed Americans have cell phones
| Gadget type | 2006 Total | 2006 Employed | 2006 Nonworking | 2008 Total | 2008 Employed | 2008 Nonworking |
| Cell phone | 73% | 82% | 58% | 78% | 89% | 65% |
| Desktop | 68 | 77 | 52 | 65 | 77 | 52 |
| Laptop | 30 | 38 | 18 | 39 | 50 | 27 |
| PDA, Blackberry |
11 | 14 | 4 | 13 | 19 | 6 |
| Source: Pew Internet Project | ||||||
Mobile phone demand to grow 11%
Consumer Electronics Association expected an 11% increase in demand for mobile phones, a 3.9% increase in demand for audio and video equipment, including televisions, and a 5.6% increase in the video game business. Demand for computers will fall 1%.
Global handset market to grow 3% in 2009
2009 global handset growth will reach 3%, due to market weaknesses in Europe and North America,m UBS claims.
30% of iPhone 3G buyers switched to AT&T from other carriers
30% of US consumers who purchased Apple iPhone 3G in the summer of 2008 switched from other mobile carriers to join AT&T, the exclusive mobile carrier for the iPhone in the US. 23% of consumers, on average, switched carriers between June and August 2008. 47% of new AT&T iPhone customers that switched carriers switched from Verizon Wireless, another 24% switched from T-Mobile, and 19% switched from Sprint. Before the launch of the iPhone 3G, iPhone sales represented 11% of the consumer market for smartphones (January through May 2008); however, after the launch of iPhone 3G, Apple commanded 17% of the smartphone market (January through August 2008).
19.6 mln Symbian phones shipped in Q2 2008
A total of 19.6 mln Symbian based phones shipped in Q2 2008, compared to 18.7 mln units during Q2 2007 and 18.5 mln during the Q1 2008, according to Symbian.