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Topic: Nokia

Gartner Q3 2008 data shows iPhone passes Windows Mobile and Nokia has first decline

Summary: Last month Canalys reported their 3rd quarter smartphone sales data with Nokia in first, Apple in second, and RIM in third. Today, Gartner posted their 3rd quarter measurements with Nokia still in first (42.4%), RIM in second (15.9%), and Apple in third (12.9%). HTC is shown in fourth place at 4.5%. The shocking number is the growth from Q3 2007 to Q3 2008 in Apple of 327.5%. The operating system breakdown is shown in the same order.

Matthew Miller

By for Smartphones and Cell Phones |

Gartner numbers show iPhone passes Windows Mobile and Nokia has first declineLast month Canalys reported their 3rd quarter smartphone sales data with Nokia in first, Apple in second, and RIM in third. Today, Gartner posted their 3rd quarter measurements with Nokia still in first (42.4%), RIM in second (15.9%), and Apple in third (12.9%). HTC is shown in fourth place at 4.5%. The shocking number is the growth from Q3 2007 to Q3 2008 in Apple of 327.5%. The operating system breakdown is shown in the same order.

One interesting item to note about HTC is that Gartner only counts the company's own branded devices, with many, many devices being branded by carriers and other manufacturers (Sony Ericsson, Palm, etc.). In the Others category a marketshare of 20.9% is shown so that data may not be accurately showing how high up HTC really should be in the comparison.

In looking at the operating system, the iPhone is at 12.9% compared to Windows Mobile at 11.1%. It is pretty shocking to me that the iPhone/Mac OS X operating system sales are greater than Windows Mobile given that there are so many different Windows Mobile devices and only two models of iPhones. Windows Mobile has also been around for quite some time. It looks like usability may be winning out over functionality and specifications.

Q3 2008 numbers show that smartphone sales are still increasing, at 11.5%, but it is the lowest growth rate that Gartner has ever measured. Nokia also saw it first recorded decline in sales of 3% compared to 2007 so they are definitely being pressured by the other major players.

The Google Android OS is just available on one device in the U.S. at this time and since it just recently launched it does not yet appear in the numbers.

Topics: Nokia, CXO, Software, Smartphones, Operating Systems, Mobility, Mobile OS, IT Priorities, iPhone, HTC, Hardware, Enterprise Software, Windows

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9 comments
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  • Are you really surprised?

    Come on, Microsoft basically let WM stagnate to the point where HTC had to write their own UI.

    That fact pretty much says it all.
    croberts
    Reply Vote

    • You assume that people buy the iPhone to use as a smartphone

      how many people rushed out to purchase an iPhone are really using it as such, or are most people just putting music and photos on it?

      I think alot of people did purchase one becuase of it's business useability, but my guess is that a great many people had no idea what a smartphone was, or is.
      GuidingLight
      Reply Vote

      • Semantics.

        If someone buys an SUV and just uses it to go to the
        supermarket, is it no longer an SUV?
        msalzberg
        Reply Vote

  • It's because of Apple's marketing

    ..not it's usability (crashes, call drops, difficult keyboard, etc.)

    iPhone commercials are on TV every 20 minutes. I have never seen a Windows Mobile or Nokia commercial on TV in North America.
    AdamzP
    Reply Vote

  • Q3 figures for Apple ignore abysmal Q2 numbers

    Depending on who you believe, Apple sold somewhere between 300,000 and 800,000 iPhones in Q2 of 2008. That is an [b]incredibly[/b] low number. Why was it so low? It was from a combination of Apple announcing the 3G iPhone and from Apple's decision to stop making iPhones thus creating an artificial shortage. Basically, people delayed their iPhone purchase in Q2 either because they were waiting for the 3G or because they couldn't find one in the store. When the iPhone 3G was released, it absorbed a lot of pent up demand from Q2. This has the effect of making Q3 look better than it actually was because it put 6 months of demand into a 3 month time frame. If you average out Q2 sales with Q3 sales, you would see that Apple falls [b]far[/b] short of RIM and Nokia and is still behind Windows Mobile. Look for Apple to fall pretty far down the list in Q4, just like they did in 2007. Apple basically confirmed this when they [url=http://cultofmac.com/report-apple-cuts-4q-iphone-production-by-40/4462] drastically cut their iPhone production for Q4. [/url]
    NonZealot
    Reply Vote

    • forgetting something

      Yes people put off buying phones and Apple did slow its
      production in Q2. The thing you seem to be forgetting is
      that Apple is selling its phone in almost 70 countries now
      as opposed to the 6 or so it was selling in back in Q2.

      Yes there was a surge in the number of phone sales due to
      the holdouts for the new 3G but with the addition of more
      and more carriers selling the phone and the proliferation
      of applications for the phone I have a hard time seeing a significant drop in sales.
      meeyanpeat
      Reply Vote

      • Sales outside the US are not going well

        Sure, they help, but Apple is doing very poorly everywhere but the US, both with the Mac and with the iPhone.
        NonZealot
        Reply Vote

    • Leave it to ZN...

      "Non"Zealot would find something negative to say about the iPhone if it solved world hunger.

      What he won't say is that it's amazing that a single phone can beat out all WM phones in ANY quarter, given that Microsoft had an 7-year head start and despite scores of manufactures building the things. And those companies are all waiting to pay for WM v7 which should be out by the end of 2009. It will be worth the wait, complete with its own App Store! Heck, HTC might not even have to cover up the ugly WM interface with TouchFlo. Isn't that ironic given that the original Windows covered up an ugly interface, too?

      In fact, all the WM manufactures are basically held hostage by Microsoft since there isn't an alternative mobile operating system available to them that costs less, right? ;)

      Don't get me wrong - WM is definitely still relevant. In fact, you can't find a article about the iPhone, Blackberry, and Android that doesn't at least briefly mention WM too. Oh wait, it happens all the time! :)
      rynning
      Reply Vote

  • Nokia Financials

    Folks, take some time to read the financials on Nokia [url=http://www.nokia.com/A4226070]here[/url].

    Apple really is a big fish in a little pond, by comparison.

    Apple can't afford to make any missteps. The N97 is an iPhone killer.

    Thanks Matt!! :)
    no_zd_user_name
    Reply Vote
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