Chinese handset-maker TCL said the global economic downturn dragged handset shipments down 14.8% to nearly 1.2 million units in November.
This followed a strong showing in January to October, where sales rose 27% to 11.7 million units over 2007. Total handset sales to the end of November were 21.6% higher, it said.
TCL Communication said its expanding presence in overseas markets - Latin America and EMEA in particular - had contributed nearly 82% of total handset sales in the third quarter.
CEO Liu Fei said the weak economy and slower consumer spending would continue to affect the company's business, but he was optimistic that growth prospects would improve in the long-term.
He said TCL's stringent cost control and market diversification strategy would help it weather the economic slump.