The WW mobile device market totals 427.8m units for Q1 2011 with 19% Y-o-Y growth, according to Gartner-- a market where the smartphone segment continues to grow rapidly to soon outpace the rest.
Smartphones account for 23.6% of the mobile device market in Q1 2011, growing by 85% Y-o-Y-- and it will only continue growing further, thanks to competitive mid-tier models which Gartner predicts will drive the smartphones towards mass adoption.
Nokia retains its position as WW mobile device market's leading vendor-- even if its market share (of 25.1%) is at its lowest since 1997 after losing 5.5% market share Y-o-Y. Gartner predicts it will aggressively lower ASPs further in order to maintain Symbian device shipments before its first Windows Phone 7 models start hitting the market.
Samsung meanwhile has its strongest first quarter ever (reaching 16.1%% market share) and should continue going strong in Q2 2011, thanks to a number of device announcements, including new Galaxy smartphone and tablet models.
Following in third place is LG, reaching 5.6% market share.
Moving to the current smartphone OS wars, Android has 36% market share, with Symbian following with 27.4%. However, Gartner says the quarter's biggest news is that of Nokia and Microsoft's alliance, which ties directly with Symbian's retirement (which will lead to a competitors' rush to capture its market share).
Meanwhile RIM's transition to the QNX platform in 2012 should make its smartphones more attractive in the graphics, performance and touch departments, while unifying its Blackberry and Playbook experience.
Windows Phone's share and sales remain quite modest, reaching 1.6m units in Q1 2011-- but the platform should start gaining further momentum once Microsoft's partnership with Nokia starts seeing actual fruit (in the shape of new device models).
Gartner however advices vendors to exercise caution, as it forecasts dropping sales (alongside softness in user demand in emerging markets) through Q2 2011.
Go Gartner Says 428 Million Mobile Communication Devices Sold Worldwide in Q1 2011