Worldwide Mobile Phone Penetration
The worldwide mobile phone market showed continued strength in Q1 2006 with total shipments of 226.7 mln units, representing 26% growth over Q1 2005, according to IDC. Although the market experienced a sequential decline of 7.3% when compared to the record Q4 2005, much of this was due to expected seasonality. Much of the worldwide growth has been attributed to developing markets, which have not only seen an influx of entry-level devices for first-time users, but an increasing interest in mid-range and higher end devices.
* Nokia. The Finnish giant started 2006 much in the same way it closed out 2006 – as the undisputed leader of the worldwide mobile phone market. Growing 39.6% year over year, Nokia marked yet another quarter having wrapped up more than thirty percent of the worldwide market. Thanks to the success of its higher-priced models, average selling prices increased, stemming the trend of steady decline for the past several quarters.
* Motorola. The U.S.-based company continued its string of quarters of year-over-year growth, this time posting a 60.6% gain to begin 2006. Motorola continues to leverage its tremendously popular RAZR model with different colors and form factors in the PEBL and SLVR, and its sustained shipments into developing markets helped propel sales and shipments even further.
* Samsung. With shipments increasing 18.4% year over year, Samsung remained firmly in place as the number three worldwide vendor. With shipment improvement to Latin America and Asia/Pacific, the company pushed even closer to the thirty million unit mark. At the same time, while Samsung increased its shipments from a year ago, sales had a slight decrease.
* LG Electronics. Standing pat in the number four position is LG Electronics, whose first quarter shipments resulted in a 40.5% increase from a year ago. This was the first post-holiday quarter during which LG Electronics’ shipments stayed solidly above the ten million unit mark. The combination of a decrease in shipments, higher marketing expenses, and product mix deterioration led to a decrease in sales this quarter for the company, which ultimately resulted in an operating loss.
* Sony Ericsson. The 50/50 venture began the year with an impressive 41.5% year-over-year improvement, and also marked the first time that Sony Ericsson’s post-holiday shipments remained firmly above the ten million unit mark. At the same time, after trailing LG Electronics by just a hundred thousand units last quarter, Sony Ericsson saw the difference increase to 2.3 million units. Three new flagship models were announced for music, imaging, and enterprise-focused consumers, and spanned the full spectrum of price points.
Mobile Statistics
10.8 mln mobile subscribers in Bangladesh
11 mln mobile subscribers in Pakistan
125.8 mln mobile subscribers in Russia
13% of US wireless customers consider their service excellent
15% of US mobile users use mobile Web
2.5 bln mobile subscribers by the end of 2006
2.75% of mobile subscribers use virtual operators
20% of Australian phone users ready to cut the cord
207.9 mln wireless users in the US in 2005, 69% penetration
226.7 mln cell phones sold in Q1 2006 globally
24% of cell phone users feel they have to answer a call no matter what
27% of Japanese mobile consumer use bar code readers
3.8 mln of British mobile users had some SMS-related injury
33.32% of US mobile users sent or received text messages
36% of US wireless customers have been shocked by their wireless bills
37% of mobile households have checked e-mail on their phones
41% of Americans fill in their free time with calling someone on their wireless phone
41% of mobile phone owners are interested in videos
420 mln mobile users in China
44 mln cell phones sold in Japan in 2005
54.1 mln Americans use Cingular, 51.3 mln - Verizon
6% of US households rely exclusively on cell phones
610 mln mobile subscribers in China by 2009
825.5 mln mobile phones sold in 2005, 16.7% growth
86.2 mln Brazilians have mobile phones
9.32 mln mobile subscribers in Hungary
90 mln mobile subscribers in India
930 mln mobile phones to sell in 2006
Average cell phone conversation lasts 3 minutes 15 seconds
Cell phone exam cheating in England up 27%
Cell phone penetration in Mexico reached 46% in 2005
Central and Eastern European mobile subscription revenues up 13.5% in 2005
Ireland is at 100% mobile penetration
Japanese cell phone market up 11.4% in January 2006
Japanese kids generated $275 mln for wireless industry in 2005
Men more likely than women to drive and talk on cell phones
Mobile phone market share for Q1 2006: Nokia - 33.1%, Motorola - 20.3%, Samsung - 12.8%, LG Electronics - 6.9%, Sony Ericsson - 5.9%
PIM freaks spend 13% more on wireless bills than average cellular users
Revenues per mobile user down by 11% in Finland in 2005
UK mobile services industry to generate $100 mln by 2008
US is at 70% wireless penetration
US wireless penetration reaches 70%, 200 mln subscribers
Wireless revenue from US businesses will grow to $52 bln in 2010