Motorola and Apple snapping at mobile giants' heels

Nokia is still the market leader, but the competition is snapping at its heels

The mobile phone market is undergoing a shift, thanks in part to new market entrants stealing attention from the "big five", according to IDC's latest Mobile Device Technology and Trends report.

The latest quarterly research found that the industry shipped over 317 million handsets in the past three months, representing growth of approximately 15 per cent year on year. According to Samsung's latest results, it accounted for more than a fifth of these sales, as it reported 63.8 million handsets sold during the second quarter.

IDC also revealed that manufacturers have shipped 620 million handsets in the first six months of the year, largely on the back of lower prices and increased awareness about smartphone capabilities.

"Lower smartphone average selling prices, increased consumer interest and aggressive expansion plans on the part of key suppliers will keep the device type growing above market growth rates," said Ramon Llamas, a senior research analyst at IDC's Mobile Devices Technology and Trends division.

"That worldwide growth was driven primarily by vendors outside the top vendors is particularly noteworthy."

The top five comprises Nokia, Samsung, LG, RIM and Sony Ericsson, but IDC said that their dominant positions are threatened by firms including Apple and Motorola. However, to dismiss the world leaders would be "a mistake", Llamas explained.

"Each currently enjoys broad distribution, a deep portfolio and brand recognition. Moreover, each is in the midst of refreshing its respective product portfolio, with greater emphasis on smartphones during the second half of this year," he said.

"Still, the upward pressure from vendors outside the current top five, particularly Apple and Motorola, will provide tough competition in the quarters to come."

Western Europe saw an increased demand for smartphones, and sales grew as a result. The fact that many vendors cut prices to tempt users will also have had an impact, as has uptake of the Android operating system, which IDC explained had been popular among purchasers.

Meanwhile, the traditional mobile phone market has declined. Nokia was the overall winner in the mobile market in the quarter, shipping more handsets than second-placed Samsung and third-placed LG combined.

However, IDC added that Nokia could struggle in the smartphone market, and is already facing challenges from vendors in emerging markets.