Our SpecTRAX Q1 2010 shelf share analysis of 140 mobile network operators revealed that Research in Motion’s BlackBerry Curve 8520 moved up one place to top the chart, appearing in the product portfolios of 58 of the 140 network operators tracked in 29 countries around the world, more than any other handset model at the time.

The BlackBerry BOLD 9000 was finally pushed off top spot in Q1 2010, having been the model appearing on most network operators’ shelves during 2009. Research in Motion’s Curve 8520 moved up from second place in Q4 2009 to take first place in Q1 2010, ahead of 3 variations of the iPhone and the RIM Onyx. Nokia's highest ranked phone in this shelf share anaylsis was the N97 taking sixth place.

The report also summarises the key features and trends of 61 new handsets that were announced during May 2010 for which detailed specifications were available. Highlights from May’s 61 new handset announcements include:

• Penetration of Bluetooth, WiFi and GPS in new handsets are at their lowest levels for over a year, due to an increase in the number of low-end model announcements.
• 25 touchscreen phones (41% of the 61 new models), 21 of which are using capacitive and only 4 of which are using resistive technology;
• 55 new models (90%) were announced with a memory card slot, all of which are microSD-based. Six of these models can support 32GB memory card capacity (microSDHC) and a further 19 support cards up to 16GB.

The lower than average specs during recent months can be attributed in part to a higher than normal number of entry-level phones being introduced by several Tier 2 and Tier 3 handset vendors, mainly for China, India and other emerging markets.

The full 11 page SpecTRAX report can be accessed by clients here: BlackBerry Curve 8520 Takes Shelf Share Top Spot in Q1 2010
http://www.strategyanalytics.com/default.aspx?mod=ReportAbstractViewer&a0=5626

Stuart Robinson

Follow me on Twitter: @Stuart_Robinson

The latest report from our SpecTRAX service reveals that Research in Motion (RIM) achieved high shelf share among mobile network operators during Q3 2009, with the BlackBerry Bold 9000 appearing on the product portfolios of more carriers than any other handset model, ousting the Nokia E71 from top spot. The BlackBerry BOLD 9000 appeared in the portfolios of 60 mobile network operators from the 145 that we track in 29 countries around the world. Also included in the report is a summary of the key specifications of the new handset announcements. Some of the highlights from September’s 59 new handset announcements include: · Average thickness of 15.16 mm, reversing the downward trend over the last few months; · Display size of 2.85 inches, boosted by some LG models, and setting a new all-time high this month; · Memory card slot inclusion in 95% of new phone models, another record high; · A Touchscreen in 58% of new models, yet another record high for one month. A further 47 new handset models were announced during September but have been excluded from this analysis due to a lack of detailed specifications. They will be included in future reports as and when specs become available. Read the full 12 page report here: BlackBerry Bold Knocks Nokia E71 off Carriers' Shelves Stuart Robinson Follow me on Twitter: @Stuart_Robinson

A total of 109 new handsets were announced globally by 27 vendors. Our report summarises the key features and trends of the 53 handsets for which detailed specifications were available. Only limited details were available for the other 56 handsets. Of the 53 new handsets, 9 were from LG and 11 were from Samsung, including the new Android-based GT-i7500L. Some of the highlights from July's 53 new handset announcements include: · Average thickness of 13.96 mm, the lowest figure on record; · USB support in 85% of all new handsets, another high, and up from 60% two years ago; · Memory card slot in 87% of new phones, up from 71% two years ago; · Average talk time of 343 minutes, up from 271 minutes two years ago, despite the shift to 3G networks. Feature penetration continues to grow, while size and weight continue to decline, due in part to advancements in semiconductor integration and packaging techniques. The trend towards thinner handsets may slow down soon as the compromise between small size and robustness becomes more of a factor. Find out more insights from this database here  http://tiny.cc/spectrax378 Steve Entwistle Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/sentwistle1419