Business Services Industry

STRATEGY ANALYTICS: Motorola Maintains 3rd Position as Global Handset Shipments Surge 15% in Q2 2008

Business Wire, July 31, 2008

BOSTON -- According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global mobile handset shipments grew a healthy 15 percent year-over-year, to reach 297 million units in Q2 2008. Motorola surprised and held off LG to maintain the third spot in our global vendor rankings.

Bonny Joy, Analyst at Strategy Analytics said, "Global handset shipments rose 15 percent annually, to 297 million units during Q2 2008. Despite much economic gloom, handset sales remain robust in emerging markets and the worldwide growth rate is, in fact, higher than it was at any time during 2007."

Neil Mawston, Director at Strategy Analytics, added, "Motorola exceeded expectations and held off LG to maintain the third spot in our global vendor rankings during the second quarter of 2008. Motorola's decline in shipments, at minus 21 percent annually, was its slowest rate since Q1 2007. These represent tentative signs of recovery and if Motorola can slash costs and refresh its handset portfolio over the coming months, then a return to profitability in 2009 is possible."

Other findings from Strategy Analytics' Q2 2008 Global Handset Market Share Update report include:

* Apple's global handset shipments fell sharply, from 1.7 million units in Q1 2008 to 0.7 million in Q2 2008. Apple's worldwide marketshare stood at a tiny 0.2% in Q2 2008. We forecast Apple to rebound to 1.1% share in Q3 2008 as shipments spike from the new, cheaper iPhone 2.0;

* Total annual growth for the worldwide mobile handset market reached 15% in the second quarter of 2008. Contrary to popular perception, and despite much economic gloom, the global handset market is growing faster than at any time during 2007.