- Market led by Europeans, with Asian vendors in hot pursuit
- EMEA imaging phone shipments in Q2 2003 up 166% on Q1 2003
- Nokia overall leader with 42.6% share, from Sony Ericsson on 22.1%
- High-end smart phones now competing with many lower priced
alternatives
EMEA Q2 2003 - highlights from the Canalys research...
Canalys' latest research shows how quickly shipments of phones with
integrated cameras are growing in EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa),
despite the overall mobile phone market being somewhat stagnant.
High-end smart phones, such as the Nokia 3650 and Sony Ericsson P800,
are joined in this market by less expensive offerings from these vendors
as well as a range of competitively priced models from Asian vendors
such as Samsung, Sharp, Panasonic, NEC and LG.
Nokia 1,636,430 42.6% 588,380 40.8% 178%
Sony Ericsson 848,160 22.1% 176,160 12.2% 381%
Samsung 404,630 10.5% - 0.0% NA
Sharp 374,500 9.7% 302,260 20.9% 24%
Panasonic 284,700 7.4% 359,260 24.9% -21%
Others 295,520 7.7% 17,250 1.2% 1613%
(c) canalys.com ltd. 2003
(This table is designed to be viewed in a monospaced font (eg. Courier).
A graphical version is available from the Canalys web site)
"Operators are obviously keen to get low-priced imaging handsets into
the hands of as many consumers as possible. For them, the priority is
generating MMS messaging revenue, not selling expensive phones, and the
smaller Asian vendors are also more willing to allow the operators to
control branding on the device," said Chris Jones, Canalys director and
senior analyst. "So far, Nokia and Sony Ericsson are defending their
positions well in this emerging segment, but it's important they do not
take this leadership for granted."
Association with the heavily promoted Vodafone Live! has certainly
boosted the performance of Sharp and Panasonic in the first half of the
year, but Canalys also warns operators not to underestimate the power of
the leading mobile phone brands. Nokia's absence from 3's launch
line-up, for example, almost certainly contributed to the lower than
hoped for take-up, though other factors also paid a big part. Brand
power and innovative product designs have kept Nokia at the head of the
overall mobile phone market and continue to do so in new segments such
as imaging phones. Sony Ericsson has also done well in this segment,
with its Bluetooth-enabled T610 proving very attractive to those looking
for a small, non-clamshell handset with an up-to-date specification.
One vendor noticeable by its absence from the leading pack is Motorola,
though this comes as no surprise to senior analyst Andy Buss: "The
fascination with integrated digital cameras began in Japan and has now
come to Europe. The US trails the rest of the world in this regard and
this is bound to influence the product designs of US-led companies. A
mobile phone is a fashion statement, not just a functional piece of
telecoms equipment. Phones with add-on cameras may be functional, even
flexible, but they are simply not as stylish as the leading integrated
models. The Asian and European companies realised this early on and are
seeing the benefits."
