Handset vendor metrics 2008

The fourth quarter was clearly a rough one for the top five handset vendors. Nokia saw a sharp drop in profit; Samsung posted its first quarterly net loss; LG, despite shipping 100 million units in 2008, posted its first quarterly net loss since 2007; Sony Ericsson reported a $247 million loss; and Motorola continues to be in dire straits. FierceWireless compiled all of the relevant quarterly metrics for the five handset makers, alongside a review of some of their top phones and a comparison between all of them.