Smartphone demand increases globally

The worldwide smartphone market has increased by 28%, with a record 39.9 million devices being shipped in the third quarter of 2008, according to the latest research by analyst firm Canalys.

Smartphones now represent around 13% of the total global mobile phone market.

Nokia secured pole position globally despite a comparative fall in their shipments this quarter - around 15.4 Nokia smartphones were shipped in Q3 2008 compared to nearly 16 million in Q3 last year.

Apple secured second place with more than 6.8 million of its devices being shipped globally, reflecting strong growth after the introduction of the iPhone 3G.

“It was expected that Apple would figure among the smart phone leaders this quarter, with that huge initial new product shipment, it was just a question of how high up it would be – and this is impressive,” commented Pete Cunningham, Canalys senior analyst. RIM BlackBerry was pushed down to third place, with a little over 6 million of its devices being shipped around the world.

The Europe, Middle East and Africa region in particular registered a 21% growth in the smartphone segment.