Cell phone sales down 11.9 percent in Q1 2009

Posted on Monday, June 15 2009 @ 10:01 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
According to a report by ABI Research, the global mobile phone market declined 11.9 percent in the first quarter of this year. A total of 35 million units less units were shipped than during the same period one year ago, and the research firm expects this trend to continue through Q4 2009.
The mobile phone industry has long been characterized by its seasonal trends, where the first quarter always delivers a sequential decline after a busy holiday season. However, the drop in this first quarter was especially sharp, according to ABI Research practice director Kevin Burden. “The 255.6 million handsets shipped represented a 20% decline from Q4 2008, which was already a down quarter, and a nearly 12% decline from Q1 2008.”



Shipment reductions are a new reality for the mobile phone market. “The industry and consumers have gone into protection mode,” says Burden. “Protecting profitability has led handset manufacturers to produce less and to operators and retail outlets holding smaller inventories. Consumers are also realizing that many of the features they desire are already in the handset they currently use, and are willing to forego an upgrade until they have more confidence in their own futures.”

The Asia/Pacific region, with handset volumes triple that of the next largest region, had been widely expected to feel more than a fair share of pain due its very troubled economic conditions. However it posted only an 8% YoY decline, which was a spot of encouragement. The Latin American market, however, tempered any encouraging news with a reminder of how deeply the recession can cut. The region had a nearly 28% decline in shipments, the largest decline of any region, due in large part to the devaluation of its currencies leading to higher prices of imported mobile phones.


About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.



Loading Comments