1.2 Billion Mobile Phones Sold Worldwide In 2009

Market research firm Gartner has reported that the global mobile phone sales in last year reached around 1.21 billion units, showing a marginal decline of 0.9 percent compared to the sales figures in the year 2008.

The year, however, ended on a positive note, as sales of handsets worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2009 picked up considerably, with a thumping 340 million units sold during the period, a year-over-year increase of 8.3 percent.

As forecasted by the analyst, the sales figures jumped in the top and bottom segment of the handsets, with the medium range of handsets squeezed significantly. Sales were primarily hovering between the high-end smartphones and the low-cost handsets.

In terms of handset makers, although Nokia was the clear leader with 36.4 percent market share, but it was down from 38.6 percent share it had in 2008. 

Samsung with 19.5 percent share, up from 16.3, was second in the pack, followed by LG, market share of which jumped from 8.4 percent in 2008 to 10.1 percent last year.

The year wasn’t all that good for Sony Ericsson and Motorola, with shares of the two companies declined sharply to 4.5 percent and 4.8 percent respectively.