Sony Ericsson led a 22% boom in global shipments of mobile phones in the third quarter, an AFP report said.
The report, quoting research firm Strategy Analytics, said Nokia remained top overall as worldwide mobile phone shipments reached a record high of 256 million units in the three months to September 30.
Sony Ericsson was the 'star performer,' growing volumes at an annual rate of 43%, the Boston-based consultancy firm said.
The AFP report further quoted Strategy Analytics as saying that the success of the Japanese-Swedish venture should 'ring alarm bells' at US giant Motorola, which registered a next-best gain of 39% in volumes growth.
Volumes at Nokia went up 35% to keep the Finnish company at the top of the global mobile handset rankings, with a market share of 34.5%, the AFP report said.
Motorola was next with a share of 21%, followed by Samsung (12%), Sony Ericsson (7.7%) and LG (6.4%).
Nokia was 'well on its way' to surpassing a record 340 million shipments of mobile units over the course of 2006, Strategy Analytics further said.