Gartner is out with its Q1 mobile phone report and things do not seem to have changed much. iOS and Android are still ruling the
roost while Microsoft WP7 is creeping up sluggishly. Mobile phone market is growing at a steady pace, up 19 percent from the corresponding quarter of the last year and smartphones, in general, have bypassed the demand growth for feature phones.
Smartphone sales during the quarter showed impressive 85 percent year on year growth. Analysts are estimating the second quarter stats to be even more impressive for smartphones, since the first quarter of the year saw an impressive array of smartphones being launched, which will start shipping out in the second quarter. Out of the major smartphone manufacturers, Samsung, HTC and Apple are leading the crowd. Where Apple managed to double its iPhone sales, Samsung boasted of its best ever first quarter performance.
Among the smartphone operating systems, Google's Android is solidly perched at the top spot with 36 percent share of the global market. Apple showed a little improvement and now owns 16.8 percent of the market pie. Predictably, Research in Motion and Nokia's Symbian are consistent in losing their market share. Nokia lost whopping 17 percent market share and now commands 27 percent. Nokia had 44 percent share in the first quarter of the last year. However, Nokia is not alone, RIM also lost 7 percent point market share and now holds 12.9 market share.
Microsoft does not seem to be doing well either, but the report is optimistic about its future. It states that WP7 is expected to receive a boost from its collaboration with Nokia. It would be interesting to see how these two sinking ships may help each other out.