Global mobile phone sales down in Q3: report

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Despite continued strong demand for smartphones, overall sales of mobile handsets worldwide dropped nearly 3 percent year on year in the third quarter of 2012, research firm Gartner said Wednesday.

Global sales of mobile phones reached about 427.7 million units in the quarter, compared to 441.5 million units in the same period a year earlier, according to a new report from Gartner.

The mobile phone market continued to be fueled by smartphones which have more advanced functions, as smartphone sales worldwide surged 46.9 percent from the same period last year.

Data from Garter showed that smartphone sales accounted for 39. 6 percent of total mobile phone sales in the third quarter, as Samsung and Apple dominated the smartphone market with a combined share of 46.5 percent, leaving a handful of vendors fighting over a distant third spot.

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