ABI Research has investigated the current state of the mobile phone market in Q4 2007. As the experts claim, the shocks trembling the US economy haven’t had any severe affect on this segment. Most handset suppliers, except for Motorola, have increased their sales volumes and revenues. The fourth quarter wound up at 342 million phones sold, taking the yearly sales to the 1,15 billion mark, which is 15,8% better than in 2006. As the analysts predict, 2008 will see a 12% increase on 2007 sales-wise, although previously the growth forecast was 13,5%, however the experts of ABI Research have reduced this figure.

As ABI Research says, Motorola was the only vendor not to enjoy the fruits of 2007. By its own admission, Motorola’s market share shrank from 23.3% to 12.4%. Other players, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung and LG were net beneficiaries. Curiously, ABI Research calls North America and to a lesser extent South America “the chink in Nokia’s armor”. Indeed, this maker can’t boast a solid presence on these markets, since it is bound to comply with carriers’ requirements, such as customization, exclusive sales periods, and personalization to appeal to their customers.