We use our SpecTRAX online database to indicate popular smartphones. We found that in the first half of 2012 smartphones from Nokia and RIM joined those from Apple and Samsung as most widely available.

The complete top 20 list of global smartphones ranked according to their shelf-share are shown below.

Samsung pipped Apple to the top spot with the Galaxy S II i9100 (16GB), closely followed by Apple’s iPhone 4S 16 GB.  Impressively the Galaxy SII is available from every network operator and retail channel analyzed by the SpecTRAX team.

Our report also summarizes the key specifications of the top 20 smartphones including display size, camera resolution, processor speed and operating systems.

Over 50% of devices profiled were Android; however iOS, Windows Phone, Blackberry OS and Symbian all held their ground in the top 20 smartphone list.

The key finds of the report include;

• Samsung’s Galaxy S II i9100 (16 GB) shows universal availability (only absent from the iStore shelves); the Apple iPhone 4S 16 GB comes in a close second.
• Nokia’s Lumia 800 gained traction early in its lifecycle being available through 77% of global channels just months after launch;  beating Samsung’s heavily publicised Galaxy S III i9300 16 GB launched in Q2 2012.
• HTC’s One X quad-core device (launched at MWC in February 2012) came in 12th place showing across 2/3 of shelves; an impressive positioning for this ultra-high-end product.
• The HTC Wildfire S and RIM Blackberry Curve 2 8520 entry level smartphones continue to be available from more than 60% of channels despite their age.

Samsung has the most devices in the ranking with five smartphones in the top 10 by shelf-share.  When the list is expanded to the top 20 widely available smartphones then devices from Sony, HTC and Motorola feature as popular in network operators product portfolios.

The data in the SpecTRAX online database is constantly updated and customers use it to track global and regional markets in terms of the popularity of handset and the associated specifications of those devices. This is particularly powerful information for product managers and development teams.
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SpecTRAX, a comparison tool from Strategy Analytics, records the specifications of new cellphone handsets and tablets as they are announced; tracking availability through over 300 carrier and retail channels. 

Click here to try the SpecTRAX for yourself
http://sa-link.cc/RS8Blog2

Alternatively CONTACT THE TEAM to arrange a SpecTRAX demo.

Steve Entwistle

Clients can access the full details in the report “Results Are In: Samsung’s Galaxy S II was the most widely-available device in 1H 2012” ranking.

SpecTRAX availability and shelf-share data revealed Nokia's Lumia 710 in poll position for smartphones launched in Europe during Q1 2012. This means that during its launch quarter, the Lumia 710 made its way onto 33% of European carriers. The Sony Xperia S (27%) and LG Prada K2 (22%) came in second and third place, with the Lumia 800 featuring on 17% of operator's shelves; meaning Nokia's new launches were in the top 4 smartphones by shelf-share at launch. Download SpecTRAX's latest complimentary extract: Most Widely Available NEW Smartphones in Europe Q1 2012 for the full story, summary spec details, and the methodology.

The analysis revealed European Carriers Top 20 newly released handsets were from Samsung (with 6 models) and HTC (5 models). Nokia, Sony, LG and RIM all featured 2 new smartphones a piece. The Apple iPhone 4S, Samsung Galaxy SIII and Nokia Lumia 900 did not feature in this report as they were launched either side of Q1 2012 in Europe.

SpecTRAX is a tactical database which tracks detailed handset specifications for smartphones, mobile phones, tablets and USB dongles. There are now over 14,000 unique models listed in the database. Click here to try the SpecTRAX database for yourself, or CONTACT THE TEAM to arrange a SpecTRAX demo.

SpecTRAX contains detailed spec analysis for over 13,000 handsets including mobile phones, tablets and 2100 smartphones to date. The latest complimentary SpecTRAX insight The Smartphone Shift tracks product annoucements since Q1 2010 to Q1 2012 and demonstrates an interesting trend in product type annoucements and the evolution of individual OEM portfolios. The impact of trades shows such as CES and MWC on Q1 annoucements each year are also discussed.

Smartphone and tablet announcements are on the up, whereas mobile phones (untargeted feature phones and mobile voice) annoucements have fallen significantly since their peak in 2010, and are now the remit of budget manufaturers. Smartphones and tablets share common technologies and have similar developmental pathways which result in two products for the price of one.

Interestingly, larger OEMs such as Samsung now show a clear preference for smartphones and tablets over mobile phones. The mobile phone appears to have settled into a niche for new OEMs gaining traction in developing countries, but for how long?

SpecTRAX is a tactical database which tracks detailed handset specifications for smartphones, mobile phones, tablets and USB dongles. Currently there are over 13,000 unique models listed in the database. If you want to try the SpecTRAX database for yourself, just click HERE or contact the team to arrange a SpecTRAX demo.

42 new smartphones were announced at MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2012 and their specifications are examined in detail in this complimentary report HERE->

ZTE announced 13 models followed by Samsung and LG with 5 each.  The analysis was carried out using SpecTRAX.

The highlights of smartphones announced at MWC are:

• Android dominated with the introduction of Ice Cream Sandwich and the continued presence of Gingerbread. Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS 7 and 7.5 (Tango and Mango) were on 2 handsets, and Symbian Belle was found on Nokia’s 808 Pureview – more on p.7 of the report.
• The average display size of these new smartphones was over 4 inches; larger displays are power hungry so battery power was increased in response.
• Huawei’s powerful and impressive Ascend portfolio is equipped with “retina displays” and quad core processors – full details are on p.3 of the report.  Quad core processors gave calculated effective clock speeds of up to 4.5GHz which surpasses even some newly announced tablets.
• Nokia’s 808 Pureview fitted with a 41MP camera revolutionised smartphone photography – more on p.5.

If you want to try the SpecTRAX databse for yourself, just click HERE.

Stephen Entwistle

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

Strategy Analytics Exclusive Presentations at MWC 2010 Strategy Analytics is delighted to announce our presence at Mobile World Congress, the premier event for the wireless industry. We will be hosting our annual exclusive breakfast presentations, and invite you to attend one of our sessions that will showcase our latest research into the dynamics of the wireless market. This invitation-only breakfast event will provide insights into the critical threats and opportunities facing the wireless industry in 2010. Mobile Broadband Traffic, Revenue & New Connected Devices Date Tuesday 16th and Wednesday 17th February 2010* Location Expo Hotel, Calle Mallorca 1-23, Barcelona (same as last year) (10min walking distance from the Fira de Barcelona where the MWC is taking place) Registration Breakfast 08:00 Session 08:30 - 10:00 * Please note that this year the sessions on the two days will be identical, giving you the choice to select the more convenient time for you. Managing the Traffic: Revenue Imbalance Notebooks/Netbooks, Feature Phones, Smart phones & Other Connected Devices

• Presentation One: A brave new world of connected devices. Which devices? Which OS? Which Brands for connected netbooks, notebooks, MIDs, ebooks?
• Presentation Two: The future of Apps: On/Off Portal & Managing the Tsunami of choices facing consumers
• Presentation Three: Managing the traffic explosion from over 1.3B broadband accounts
• SpecTRAX Global Handset Specification Database Demonstration

Each presentation is a unique opportunity to hear an objective market view from some of our senior analysts. Our events are free of charge but as we have limited space we ask you to register in advance by going to our website at: www.strategyanalytics.com/MWC2010.html Please remember to indicate on which date you would like to attend. Please also note that copies of our presentation will only be made available to attendees and clients. You will have the opportunity to meet our analysts after each presentation and/or can arrange a separate meeting during the Congress. Please feel free to forward this invitation to any of your colleagues if you think they would be interested. If you are not going to be in Barcelona or if the timing is inconvenient, we would be happy to meet you at another time, just let us know! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us, otherwise we look forward to seeing you at the MWC in Barcelona!

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