The global handset market in the first quarter of 2010

The first-quarter numbers for the global handset market are in, and it's time to start parsing the information. Research firms Strategy Analytics and IDC released separate, detailed looks at market share, shipment and growth information for the world's Tier 1 cell phone makers and smartphone vendors.

And make sure to check this summary of the world's wireless industry in the first quarter and this ranking of the top 10 U.S. carriers in the first quarter.

Source: IDC

Handset market analysis:
IDC said the worldwide mobile phone market grew 21.7 percent in the first quarter of 2010. The firm said vendors shipped 294.9 million units in the first quarter of 2010 compared to 242.4 million units in the first quarter of 2009.

"The entrance of RIM into the top five underscores the sustained smartphone growth trend that is driving the global mobile phone market recovery," noted Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker. "This is also the first time a vendor has dropped out of the top five since the second quarter of 2005, when Sony Ericsson grabbed the number 5 spot from BenQ Siemens."

Vendor analysis:
     Nokia
--IDC: Nokia started the year with a strong first-quarter unit shipment performance, driven by its top-selling 5130 and 2700 models. Shipments of 107.8 million in the first quarter of 2010 represented a nearly 16 percent improvement over the same quarter last year. The overall figures, however, fell short of the first-quarter high it set in 2008.
Read the FierceWireless article on Nokia's first-quarter performance.

      Samsung
--IDC: Samsung held steady as the number two vendor worldwide for the twelfth consecutive quarter with total shipment volumes greater than those of the next three vendors combined. Driving its results was a combination of new devices launched and expansion of distribution channels within emerging markets.
Read the FierceWireless article on Samsung's first-quarter performance.

      LG
--IDC: LG remained the No. 3 vendor worldwide with year-over-year shipment growth of nearly 20 percent, but declining revenue and profit due to seasonality and reduced prices. The abundance of feature phones at varying price points kept the company in good stead with carriers and customers, particularly within emerging markets where LG reaped triple digit growth. Still, the lack of a broad and deep smartphone portfolio made it vulnerable to competitor share gains, particularly within North America.
Read the FierceWireless article on LG's first-quarter performance.

      Research In Motion
--IDC: Research In Motion makes its first appearance among the top five vendors worldwide, with total shipments surpassing those of Motorola by nearly 2 million units. Research In Motion is the only vendor in the top 5 with a singular focus on smartphones, and as a result, the company enjoys the highest average selling prices within that group. Key to its success in the first quarter was the popularity of its BlackBerry Curve 8520 and BlackBerry Bold 9700 across multiple markets as well as its global prepaid offerings. Strong consumer adoption, particularly among text-crazy teens, has also fuelled demand for BlackBerry devices.
Read the FierceWireless article on RIM's first-quarter performance.

      Sony Ericsson
--IDC: Sony Ericsson returned to profitability in the first quarter due to cost cutting and new product introductions.
Read the FierceWireless article on Sony Ericsson's first-quarter performance.

Smartphone market analysis
According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global smartphone shipments grew a huge 50 percent year-over-year, to reach 54 million units in the first quarter of 2010. This was the strongest period of growth for almost 3 years and smartphones continue to lead the handset industry out of recession.

Source: Strategy Analytics

For more:
- see this Strategy Analytics release
- see this IDC release
- see these numbers from the fourth quarter
- see these numbers from the third quarter
- see these numbers from the second quarter
- see the wireless industry's performance so far in the first quarter