Gartner is out with new numbers showing just what kind of toll the wait for the iPhone 5 is having on worldwide phone sales.
GartnerWorldwide sales of mobile phones to end users reached 419 million units in the second quarter of 2012, a 2.3 percent decline from the second quarter of 2011… Smartphone sales accounted for 36.7 percent of total mobile phone sales and grew 42.7 percent in the second quarter of 2012.
Anshul Gupta, principal research analyst at Gartner, said demand slowed in the second quarter of 2012, saying the “challenging economic environment” and users postponing upgrades to take advantage of “high-profile device launches” later this year, were to blame for the slow demand.
Demand for feature phones continued to slide, weakening the overall mobile phone market.
“High-profile smartphone launches from key manufacturers such as the anticipated Apple iPhone 5, along with Chinese manufacturers pushing 3G and preparing for major device launches in the second half of 2012, will drive the smartphone market upward. However, feature phones will continue to see pressure,” Mr. Gupta said.
Total global device sales reached 419 million units during the quarter. Samsung continued to lead worldwide phone sales, with their 21.6 percent market share aided by the launch of their new Galaxy S III. Nokia was second with 16.9 percent of the market, and Apple came in at 6.9 percent.
Android continued to have the lion’s share in the battle of Operating Systems, with 64.1 percent of the pie, with iOS grabbing an 18.8 percent slice. The two OS giants now control 83 percent of the smartphone market.
