3Q 2006 Mobile Device Shipments Top 245 Million, On Target for 1 Billion by Year End, According to ABI Research.

LONDON -- The second quarter of 2006 was a bit softer than expected in terms of handset shipments and prices, but ABI Research anticipates that 4Q 2006 will prove a bumper quarter for mobile operators and handset vendors. "The market topped 245 million mobile devices shipped in 3Q 2006 and the global mobile devices marketplace is on target to reach one billion devices by the year's end," said Jake Saunders, research director of ABI Research. "The handset vendors are pulling out all the stops to get their slickest, flattest, largest music memory, biggest mega-pixel camera phones onto the shelves in time for the 4Q-2006 holiday jamborees."

The Gang of Five -- Nokia (36%), Motorola (23.3%), Samsung (12.5%), Sony Ericsson (8.1%), and LG (6.7%) -- all increased market share at the expense of the smaller handset vendors. Economies of scale, and marketing, it seems, are everything. "Initiatives such as super thin phones have helped manufacturers such as Samsung and Motorola gain market share, but Nokia's ability to pump out phones for the emerging markets, cut handset average selling prices (ASPs), and exploit its brand image have served to maintain, and even boost, Nokia's market-share," said principal analyst Stuart Carlaw.

The net result of this scramble for market share has been lower ASPs. "The global weighted ASP dropped a steep -7.8% in 3Q 2006 compared to a 1.6% rise in 2Q 2006," said Saunders, "4Q 2006 is unlikely to fare any better. The competition is cut-throat."

3G handset shipment volumes proved to be a bit soft in 3Q 2006. 2.75G EDGE, which has been rolled out by a number of operators, has made the perceived performance gain of owning a 3G phone over a 2G GSM phone less distinct. Also, a number of vendors and operators are planning a big overhaul of their 3G phone line up for 4Q 2006. Recently Vodafone announced that it will be unveiling ten new phones for the festive season, six of which are 3.5G HSDPA-capable. HSDPA effectively "turbo-charges" the 3G experience. HSPDA will dramatically change the download experience for end users wishing to download music, games, etc. The question is, will the turbo-charge kick in quickly enough?

The latest handset market data from ABI Research may be found in the Mobile Devices Market Forecasts that form part of the company's Mobile Devices Research Service (http://www.abiresearch.com/products/service/Mobile_Devices_ Research_Service) (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.) which also includes Research Reports, Research Briefs, Market Data, Online Databases, ABI Insights and analyst inquiry support.

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in New York, ABI Research maintains global operations supporting annual research programs, intelligence services, and market reports in broadband and multimedia, RFID and M2M, wireless connectivity, mobile wireless, transportation, and emerging technologies. For information, visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.