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Stammford (pte045/03.06.2003/15:39) - The world mobile phone market grew in the first quarter of 2003. According to the Gartner market research institute http://www.gartner.com , 18 per cent more mobile phones were sold in the first three months of 2003 than in the same period last year.
In total, 112.7 million mobile phones were sold, giving manufacturers an unexpected boost in a difficult economic situation.
"We found a significant demand in all geographic regions during this quarter. The results lead us to expect double-digit growth throughout the rest of the year," explained Bryan Prohm, senior Gartner analyst for mobile communications.
Analysts mainly attribute the trend to the large demand for replacement phones. Finnish manufacturer Nokia was able to defend its market leadership with a share of 35 per cent. In spite of Nokia's 50 per cent share in the GSM market in Europe, Gartner believes there is still potential for growth.
During the current year, Gartner expects the product palette to further diversify. Phones with integrated cameras and colour displays are expected to do better in saturated markets like western Europe, providing an incentive for people to buy new phones.
Gartner cautions, however, that the effects of the SARS epidemic in Asia and the growing number of manufacturers could have a sudden, negative influence.
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