Nokia Remains Global Smartphone Leader; RIM and Apple are on the Rise

As the growth of smartphones continues to outshine other handheld devices, Nokia maintains its leading position in terms of global smartphone shipments, while both Apple and Research In Motion trail behind with increasing market shares.

Analyst firm Canalys released its research results of the global smartphone market for the second quarter of 2009, which reveal that Finnish manufacturer Nokia is still the world leader with a 44.3 percent share of the worldwide market. The company shows a 10.4 percent year-on-year lift by selling 16.9 million units in the quarter. It is particularly strong in the key markets of India and China, enforcing its lead in Asia with a 59.7 percent share.

However, it is not the time for Nokia to be relieved as its major rivals are catching up rapidly. In Q2 2009, Apple has sold 5.2 million iPhone devices. Although it only accounted for 13.7% of the smartphone market in the quarter, the company has seen a tremendous year-on-year growth rate of 626.9 percent. Moreover, the new iPhone 3GS launched in June is going to reinforce its position in the third quarter. Analysts attribute Apple’s gaining share to the superior design, functionality and application availability of its iPhone models, which have won much popularity among the customers.

Another big grower, BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, has shipped 8 million handsets in Q2 2009, which give it a 41.6 percent growth and a 20.9 percent global market share. RIM proves itself as a great threat as it leads the U.S. market in Q2 2009 with a 52% market share, and is recently named by Fortune Magazine the fastest growing company in the world in 2009. The strength of the company is believed to be its wide product portfolio, including its 2.5G models, that appeals to a wide range of customers at different price points.

Nokia, Apple and RIM have all achieved success by developing their own operating systems and delivering distinct devices and interfaces. It is hard to tell which one will be the industry leader in the end yet, but one thing is certain: competition will continue to intensify in times ahead.

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