The total number of handsets sold in 2007 could be over 1.1 billion thanks to quarter-on-quarter growth of at least 10 percent, according to Gartner. 289 million phones were sold worldwide in Q3 2007, an increase of 15 percent on the same period last year. Gartner argues that the introduction of new models and competitive pricing is driving growth in Europe, while demand in emerging markets in Africa and Asia is driving growth in other parts of the world. Sales of mobile phones in Asia Pacific increased by 26 percent compared to Q3 2006, while sales in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa rose by 3.5 percent during the same quarter.
The top five vendors accounted for 81.6 percent of the market. Nokia was the biggest winner – its market share rose from 35.1 percent in Q2 2007 to 38.1 percent in Q3 2007. Samsung was able to capture 14.5 percent of the market in Q3 2007, knocking Motorola off the second spot. Sales of Motorola phones were down by 7.6 percent during the same quarter, compared to the previous year. Sony Ericsson and LG came in fourth and fifth respectively.