Rethink analyst Caroline Gabriel said the figures show the battle for positions four to eight is heating up, with RIM, Apple, ZTE, Motorola and Sony Ericsson all playing leapfrog around the 2.5% to 4% mark.
“Before the smartphone boom, there was always a wide gulf dividing the top five handset makers from the also-rans,” she wrote. “Now the smartphone specialists are no longer niche players but are entering the overall cellphone league tables as their devices gain high volumes.”
IDC says the overall handset market grew 14.6% year-on-year during 3Q10, with 340.5 million units shipped.
Nokia topped the list with a market share of 32.4%, with Samsung second (21%), LG third (8.3%), followed by Apple and RIM on 4.1% and 3.6% respectively.
The research firm predicts smartphone sales will drive the market over the next four years, fueled by a 55% rise in shipments during 2010.
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