Smartphone sales hit by recession

Global smartphone sales increased 11.5% on year during the third quarter, the slowest growth rate ever recorded for the devices.

Market research firm Gartner, who released the data, said a total of 36.5 million smartphone handsets were sold during the July-September period.

Economic slowdown has dented sales, said Gartner.

Growth in the sector will continue to slow next year, but – unlike the rest of the mobile phone market – will not enter into decline.

Nokia maintained its dominant position in the smartphone market with a 42.4% market share. However, it was the first time that Nokia recorded a decline in smartphone sales, down 3% on year.

By contrast, Apple saw sales growth of over 300% with iPhone sales hitting 4.7 million units.

Apple’s 12.9% market share means that it outsold devices powered by Microsoft’s Windows Mobile operating system.

Upgraded features, a lower price, and wider availability all helped to boost the iPhone’s popularity.

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) also performed well, with sales up 81.7% on year to 5.8 million units.

North America was the fastest growing market for smartphones, with a 68% increase in sales.