Handset market continues to heat up

We reported recently that Asian mobile phone makers rock the boat and were able to gain a tremendous market share over the last couple of years, mainly on the expense of Nokia, Motorola but also Sony Ericsson. BusinessWeek, in its April 26 edition, states that in March, 2003, phones made by by traditional powers Nokia, Motorola, and Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications totaled 60% of sales at LetsTalk.com, a popular cellular Web site. A year later, that has fallen to 44%. Meanwhile, leading Asian manufacturers Samsung, LG, and NEC have grabbed 43% of sales, up from 11% in March, 2003.

Well, the battle continues and recently, Sony Ericsson was able to bounce back with some great new models. Sony Ericsson is looking to regain its seat in the elite group of the top five mobile phone makers, selling 8.8 million handsets during the first quarter, 50,000 more than its closest Korean rival, LG Electronics Inc.

The advantage for the consumer? Greater offers, better prices, better services. Mobile operators area also increasingly linking up with handset providers, thus giving leverage to those, which company can best adjust to the taste of the consumer.

(By Asia Business Consulting)