WW Mobile Device Sales Up, Prices Down

Gail Chiasson, North American Editor

Worldwide mobile device sales to end users totaled 325.6 million units in Q2, a 13.8% increase from the same period in 2009, according to Gartner Inc., Stamford Connecticut.

Smartphone sales to end users accounted for 19% of worldwide mobile device sales, an increase of 50.5% from Q2/09.

However, average selling prices were lower than expected and margins fell, – attributed to the decline in average selling prices to a stronger dollar, a depreciating euro, and intense competition that drove price adjustments and changes to the product mix.

While new product introductions from Apple, HTC and Motorola, along with the drop in average selling prices, drove strong sales of smartphones, shortages of components impaired sales volumes of some of the more popular new smartphones.

Q2 also saw some movement in the top 10 mobile device manufacturer rankings. HTC made its debut into the top 10 worldwide ranking, as No. 8 with 139.1% growth year-on-year. This reflects the popularity of its Android portfolio but also a more aggressive branding strategy compared to the same period in 2009.

The sudden growth in media tablets, such as the Apple iPad, did not appear to hold back smartphone sales. It appears that most tablet users still feel the need for a pocketable, capable device for those situations when it’s inconvenient to carry a larger sized device.


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