STOCKHOLM -(Dow Jones)- Worldwide smartphone sales grew 3.7% on the year to 38.1 million units in the fourth quarter 2008, research firm Gartner said Wednesday.
Gartner research director Roberta Cozza said growth slowed in the fourth quarter due to fewer compelling new products and the worsened economic climate.
As a proportion of all mobile device sales, smartphones remained relatively stable at 12% in the fourth quarter, compared to 11% a year earlier.
Nokia Corp. (NOK) maintained its market-leading position in the quarter. However, its market share fell to 40.8% from 50.9%, and its smartphone sales declined 17% to 15.6 million units.
Research In Motion (RIMM), the maker of Blackberry smartphones, increased its market share to 19.5% from 10.9%, as its sales grew 85% to 7.4 million units.
Apple's (AAPL) market share increased to 10.7% from 5.2%, as its sales more than doubled, to 4.1 million units from 1.9 million.
HTC's (2498.TW) market share grew to 4.3% from 3.7%. Its sales were up 20% at 1.6 million units.
Samsung (005930.SE) had a market share of 4.2% in the fourth quarter, up from 1.8% a year earlier, as its sales increased 138% to 1.6 million units.
Company Web site: www.gartner.com
-By Gustav Sandstrom, Dow Jones Newswires; +46-8-5451-3099; gustav.sandstrom@dowjones.com
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Publié le 11 mars 2009 Copyright © 2009 Dowjones