Korean Handset Manufacturers Targetting 50% of US Market in 2009

South Korean mobile phone manufacturers are expected to take a 50% stake in the US handset market this year, according to Taiwanese market sources cited by DigiTimes.

"Samsung and LGE have continued to increase their penetration in the US handset market since 2008, and the two companies are expected to grap the top and second spots respectively in the US this year," the sources told the electronics news publication.

The sources also cited the Korean manufacturers strength in the CDMA market and close links with the network operators as supporting their sales growth.

A recent report on handset sales by Gartner noted that the North American handset market ended 2008 with a record quarter of 49.1 million sales to users, roughly comparable to the fourth quarter of 2007 when just under 49 million units were sold.

"Smartphones continued to be a driving force for consumers to upgrade their devices," said Hughes De La Vergne, principal analyst for mobile terminals research at Gartner, based in Dallas, Texas. "Introductions of new products such as the RIM BlackBerry Storm and T-Mobile G1 helped smartphone sales grow to account for roughly 20 per cent of total sales in the region."

This was supported by research from IDC, which noted that over the same period, the North America market suffered both sequential and year-over-year declines, as economic conditions worsened. The one bright spot was the converged mobile device market, which posted double-digit growth.

On the web: DigiTimes

Posted to the site on 6th April 2009