Annual mobile phone sales retreat for first time since 2009
Mobile phone sales have recorded their first annualised dip since 2009 with just 1.75 handsets being picked up over 2012, a 1.7% drop on the equivalent 2011 figure, according to research firm Gartner.
This represents the first contraction since 2009 as consumers increasingly shirk bog-standard handsets in favour of glitzier (and pricier) high-end smartphones.
Unsurprisingly Apple and Samsung continue to dominate this market, flogging 130m and 385m smartphones respectively,a market share of around 52%.
Chinese upstart Huawei came a distant third with 27.2m smartphone sales under its belt for 2012, although this represented an increase of 74%.
Gartner expects smartphones to outstrip so-called feature phones for the first time this year as sales of non-smartphones maintain their steady decline.
Commenting on the findings Gartner principal analyst Anshul Gupta said: “The last time the worldwide mobile phone market declined was in 2009. Tough economic conditions, shifting consumer preferences and intense market competition weakened the worldwide mobile phone market this year.”