Market researcher IDC reports that worldwide mobile phone shipments grew by 16.6 percent year-over-year in the first quarter of 2003, “reflecting broad consumer interest in voice-enabled mobile devices.” Nokia maintained the #1 position in the market while LG Electronics bumped Sony Ericsson out of the top 5, IDC said.

IDC further noted that within the worldwide handset shipment total, the market for what IDC calls “converged handheld devices”, or “smartphones”, is starting to take off, with worldwide first quarter 2003 shipments growing by more than 400% year-over-year, to 1.71 million units.

“The evolution of color displays, digital imaging, and converged handheld devices continues to drive growth in the worldwide handset market,” noted Ross Sealfon, research analyst in IDC's Smart Handheld Devices program. “Despite continued economic uncertainty, a strong first quarter supported by new technologies and form factors indicates healthy industry growth during 2003.”

“Reflecting the convergence of wireless voice and data capabilities, the market is expanding rapidly through new form factors, operating systems, and functionality,” added Sealfon. “During the quarter, a number of new Palm OS, Pocket PC Phone Edition, Windows-powered Smartphone, and Symbian OS-powered converged handheld devices were introduced to the market. These devices join a number of newly shipping products, which will drive market expansion through 2003 and beyond.”

 
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