Apple crashes into top-five mobile device shipment rankings

According to Strategy Analytics, global handset shipments grew 13 per cent annually to reach 327 million units in the third quarter of 2010. Apple was a star performer, as it jumped into the top five handset rankings for the first time.

According to the research firm, Apple captured a record four per cent market share, overtook RIM and Sony Ericsson and closed the gap on LG.

Some brands were described as having outperformed, such as Apple, while others underperformed, such as LG and Nokia. LG was said to have lost ground due to a weak smartphone portfolio, while Nokia suffered component shortages that constrained its low-end handset volumes by an estimated several million units.

Other findings from the research include:

• Samsung shipped 71.4 million handsets worldwide during Q310, rising 19 per cent from 60.2 million units a year earlier. Samsung’s global market share reached 22 per cent in Q310. Samsung continues to edge ahead of LG ( nine per cent) and it is just 12 points behind Nokia (34 per cent), the closest it has ever been;
• There is a long tail of second-tier players emerging that are knocking on the doors of the top five players. ZTE, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Huawei and Alcatel are all shipping volumes that are within touching distance of the leading group.