RIM the Big Winner in Smartphone Market: Gartner - New Competition in Mobile Handset Market
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NEW COMPETITION
"Longer term, we maintain our concerns regarding smartphone share in
the face of new competition from the likes of RIM, Apple and HTC (High
Tech Computer)," analyst Kulbinder Garcha at Credit Suisse said in a
research note.
Gartner said global smartphone sales growth almost halved from the first quarter to 15.7 percent.
"The current economic environment continues to negatively impact the
market, limiting consumer spending and replacement purchases in
general," Cozza said, adding growth should pick up again in July
through September.
"Wider availability of new touch smartphone models together with the
global introduction of the iPhone 3G will help sales of smartphones
return to stronger growth in the third quarter of 2008," Cozza said.
Apple Inc's share of global smartphone sales fell to 2.8 percent
from 5.3 percent in the first quarter of 2008 as it sold down
inventories of first-generation iPhones before the launch of the iPhone
3G.
High Tech Computer Corp (HTC) sales more than doubled from a year
ago to 1.3 million phones, lifting the company to No. 3 position from
seventh place the previous quarter.
In smartphone operating systems, Symbian lost market share as the
Japanese market declined and Mitsubishi exited the market. Symbian had
57 percent of the market in the second quarter, compared with 66
percent in the same period last year.
RIM had 17.4 percent of the market and Microsoft's Windows Mobile market share stood at 12 percent in the quarter.
(Editing by David Holmes)
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