US
San F. : Design innovation and the promising 3G user experience influenced
European handset sales during the 2005 holiday season, according to
Telephia, the leading provider of performance measurement information
to the mobile industry.
Inset
shows the Nokia N70.
Telephia's
Q1 2006 European Subscriber and Device Report (ESDR) shows Motorola
RAZR posting higher market share in Europe, with a 6.2 percent share
or nearly 5.3 million mobile consumers who bought a wireless device
during the last three months purchasing a RAZR (see Table 1). This
is up from RAZR's 3.1 percent share secured in Q3 2005.
RAZR's
market share was especially strong in the United Kingdom, Italy and
Spain, claiming a share range from 7.5 to 9 percent. The RAZR claimed
a 6.1 percent share in its Q1 2006 report for the U.S., illustrating
a global demand for devices rich in visual and technological innovation
and creative design.
The Telephia European
Subscriber and Device Report is based on a semi-annual survey of over
27K wireless subscribers across six countries -- United Kingdom, Germany,
Sweden, France, Italy, and Spain. Since 2004, the report has tracked
key industry performance metrics such as brand and device market share,
brand consideration and retention, consumer satisfaction, retail dynamics,
subscriber acquisition, user profiles, feature usage and preferences.
While Motorola
had the most popular model, Nokia dominated total volume, claiming
five of the top eight models in Europe. Nokia's 6230 (#2) series phones
posted a 3.4 percent market share, while the Nokia 6101 (#3), increased
two percentage points since Q3 2005. The Nokia 6630 (#6), N70 (#7)
and 6680 (#8), packed with multimedia and 3G features, showcased the
resonance of 3G devices and services in Europe.
The Samsung SGH-D600
(#4) and the Sony Ericsson K750 (#5), which are both two mega pixel
camera phones focusing on superior multimedia functionality, grabbed
a share of 2.2 and two percent, respectively, equaling more than 3.6
million mobile phone consumers who bought the phone.
"Operators
need to have a more heterogeneous, segmented handset portfolio that
balances consumer demand for reliable voice, innovative design, multimedia,
and 3G capabilities," said Kanishka Agarwal, Vice President of
New Products, Telephia. "This is a shift from Q1 2005, when the
bulk of top selling models were focused on superior voice quality."
Table 1: Top
Mobile Phone Models in Europe
Pan Europe Pan
Europe
Share (%) Share (%)
Handset Model Q1 2006(a) Q3 2005(a)
1. Motorola RAZR series (V3, V3x) 6.2% 3.1%
2. Nokia 6230 (6230, 6230i) 3.4% 5.2%
3. Nokia 6101 2.6% 0.3%
4. Samsung SGH-D600 2.2% NA
5. Sony Ericsson K750 series (K750, K750i) 2.0% 2.2%
6. Nokia 6630 2.0% 2.3%
7. Nokia N70 1.9% NA
8. Nokia 6680 series (6680, 6681) 1.7% 1.3%