Mobile Handset Sales

Mobile Handset Sales Worldwide Grow by 30% in 2004

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 4, 2005 - 6:55am.
London -- A new report by market analysis firm Gartner shows that mobile phone sales in 2004 grew by 30% year-on-year to a new record of 674 million devices. Gartner said a 24% year-on-year increase in shipments for the fourth quarter was a big boost for the year's overall results, which exceeded most analysts' expectations. Better than expected replacement sales in mature markets and substantial gains in emerging regions also played key roles in a banner year for mobile phone makers worldwide. "Consumers in developed markets, such as Europe and the U.S., were especially drawn to camera phones, as manufacturers offered mass-market prices for these devices and buyers had a compelling reason to upgrade," said Gartner analyst Hugues de la Vergne.