Finnish manufacturer Nokia shipped the most smartphones in 2008, but its worldwide market share continues to decrease as rivals roll out popular, high-profile handsets, according to Gartner. It also said Apple and Research In Motion commanded some of the biggest year-over-year gains at Nokia’s expense, with HTC showing a healthy increase as well.
According to the research firm, Nokia sold 60.9 million smartphones last year for a total market share of 43.7 percent. That’s more than double the market share of its closest competitor, Research In Motion, which commanded 16.6 percent.
But even as Nokia continues to claim the biggest piece of cell phone pie, its outlook is mixed. From 2007, Nokia’s smartphone sales grew by just 0.8 percent and its market share dropped from 49.4 percent. While Gartner predicts that the company’s low-end smartphones will continue to remain competitive, its higher-end N series handsets are facing stiff competition.
Thanks to devices like the BlackBerry Bold and the BlackBerry Storm, RIM’s market share went from 9.6 percent in 2007 to 16.6 percent in 2008. It also boosted overall sales by 96.7 percent.
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