Wireless - The NPD Group

Date:
January 5-8, 2006
Location:
Las Vegas, Nevada
See panelist Neil Strother
in "Camera Phones Take
Off" session on January 6th

Home » News » U.S. Mobile Phone Sales Reached 31.6 Million Units in Third Quarter 2005

October 26, 2005
U.S. Mobile Phone Sales Reached 31.6 Million Units in Third Quarter 2005

According to The NPD Group, the leader in market information for the wireless industry, mobile phone sales to consumers in the U.S. reached 31.6 million units in the third quarter of 2005. This number represents solid incremental growth of seven percent from the second quarter 2005 sales volume of 29.6 million units and an increase of more than 30 percent compared to sales during the same period in 2004. NPD estimates total third quarter 2005 consumer sales of slightly more than $2 billion.

“The handset market was very robust in the third quarter,” said Neil Strother, research director for mobile devices at The NPD Group. “These numbers reflect strong replacement demand among consumers, coupled with more limited growth from new subscribers.”

According to NPD’s Mobile Phone Track, Motorola continued its leadership in the U.S. market during the third quarter, boasting three of the top five best-selling models, including its popular RAZR device at Cingular Wireless and T-Mobile. During the third quarter, Motorola’s demonstrated strength was due in part to a significant gain in share within the Verizon Wireless handset portfolio. The battle continues to be intense among LG, Nokia, and Samsung for the number two market position.

NPD reports that manufacturers’ third quarter 2005 unit sales and market shares were as follows:

Company	3Q 2005 Unit Sales (in thousands)	3Q 2005 Market Share
Motorola	9,458	30%
LG	5,077	16%
Nokia	5,032	16%
Samsung	4,883	16%
Sanyo	1,522	5%
Kyocera	1,378	4%
Sony Ericsson	1,150	4%
UTStarcom/Audiovox	952	3%
Siemens/BenQ	506	2%
Others	1,625	5%
Total	31,583	100%

The top-selling handset models during third quarter 2005 were the following:

Rank	Manufacturer	Model
1	Motorola	RAZR V3
2	Nokia	6010
3	Motorola	V551
4	LG	VX6100
5	Motorola	V180

In the GSM market, Motorola had the leading share with 39 percent, followed by Nokia with 22 percent and Samsung with 14 percent. During third quarter, LG was the leader in CDMA handsets with a 27 percent market share, with Samsung and Motorola tied in second place at 18 percent.

Methodology:
The NPD Group’s Mobile Phone Track information service compiles and analyzes mobile device sales data based on more than 150,000 completed online consumer research surveys each month. Surveys are based on a nationally-balanced and demographically-representative sample, and results are projected to represent the entire population of U.S. consumers.