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.

We all know by now that only two flag ship Windows Phone 7 handsets were launched at CES 2012; the Nokia Lumia 900 and the HTC Titan II.

So how many Windows Phone 7 handsets are there now ?  Well prior to CES at the beginning of December 2011 we counted 33 variations of 28 Windows 7 models worldwide.  How do we know ?....the analysis was carried out using SpecTRAX, with over 13,000 handset models from 130 network operators in 29 countries. 

It's clear that for some time to come the number of different models of Windows Phone 7 handsets is not going to grow quickly.  With seemingly only two active vendors and the other previous vendors now in wait-and-see mode we certainly won't see the Android gold rush we saw in the past few years.   

This analysis is available to download HERE and quantifies and compares Windows 7 phone models and analyses their global and regional shelfshare track record.  This report also introduces the commercial power of PriceTRAX, a new web-based database of retail mobile phone, tablet, USB and dongle pricing information which is updated on a weekly basis.

This month’s report reveals that compared to other smartphone operating systems, in December 2011 Windows 7 phones outperformed their closest shelfshare rivals in terms of display size, camera resolution, processor speed and average battery capacity.  The Nokia 900 and the HTC Titan 2 are certainly continuing that high spec trend with the latter sporting a 4.7-inch display and a 16 megapixel camera.

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

Stuart Robinson's latest Insight confirms that Bluetooth for mobile phones is no longer considered an optional feature.  Out of the 70 new handsets launched in September internationally, 95% had Bluetooth connectivity emphasising that handsfree functionality has become a universally expected feature.

You can read Stuart's Insight in full by clicking here.

So, Bluetooth is a an important trend, but what others are highlighted by Stuart in the 70 new handsets? 

The following picture of tables and charts showing the latest trends is compiled directly from this Insight and of course include Stuart's analytical comments.  You can gain access to this data by clicking here.

Strategy Analytics maintains a finger on the pulse of mobile handset data by closely tracking the portfolios of 140 mobile network operators in 30 countries worldwide using SpecTRAX, Strategy Analytics' mobile handset tracking tool.

If you want to find out more about SpecTRAX, just click here.

Despite market share trends, network operators are still backing Nokia.  The simple fact is that Mobile Network Operators need week-by-week to stock their shelves with the most popular handsets, and when it comes to smartphones, the majority are voting for Nokia with Apple a very close second.

How do we know this?…. because we closely track the portfolios of 140 mobile network operators in 30 countries worldwide using SpecTRAX*, Strategy Analytics' mobile handset tracking tool.

The detail of the shelf-share tussle between Nokia's N8 handset and Apple's iPhone 4 (plus which other handsets are chasing those leaders) is contained in Stuart Robinson's in-depth analysis in his latest 'Insight'.  Read this in full by clicking HERE.

If you want to find out more about SpecTRAX, just click here.

The rise of the iPhone since 2007 has been nothing short of breathtaking.  And now, for the first time in Q1 2011, Apple's iPhone 4 won the top spot from RIM's Blackberry Bold 2 9700 in the SpecTRAX global shelf share* chart.

In the turbulent mobile handset market, standing still is not an option!  The Blackberry, since Q2 2010, universally the most widely available handset, had plummeted to sixth place in the chart behind strong competition from European suppliers and Samsung.

Click here to read this full and exciting report and update your appreciation of the strength of the competitive forces at play in the mobile handset market.

* SpecTRAX global shelf share = most frequently appearing models in 130 carriers' portfolios.

Steve Entwistle

I’ve just got round to writing here about our global handset shelf share data collected in November. Shelf share is always a hot topic amongst handset vendors and network operators and we released an Insight report last month, created from statistics generated using our SpecTRAX market monitoring tool. The above analysis is based on data from our SpecTRAX database which holds intelligence on over 11,000 handsets globally available. You can try the database tool for yourself by registering HERE ->

• Research in Motion’s BlackBerry Bold2 9700 extended its lead at the top of our shelf share analysis for Q3 2010
• RIM’s Curve 2 8520 bounced back into second spot, recovering from being pushed down to third in Q2 2010 by Nokia’s E72.

Our shelf-share analysis tracks the handset portfolios of around 130 network operators in 29 countries. This quarter’s global top ten consists of only four brands: RIM BlackBerry, Samsung, Nokia and Apple.

• Apple’s 16 and 32GB versions of its iPhone 4 replaced the 3G S versions, taking fifth and sixth spots respectively, increasing their shelf share healthily from when they were launched at the end of Q2.
• Nokia has lost ground within the top ten over the past two quarters. The 5230 and 2330 classic both remained static while the number of operators offering the E72, N97 mini and 2730 classic has shrunk.

The full research paper can be downloaded from HERE -> Next week I should have the regional details for the shelf-share analysis which will show some interesting differences between some of the world’s main regions. Steve Entwistle Twitter: sentwistle1419

We have just completed last month’s cell phone market insight report with updates on product announcements, trends and global and regional handset shelf share. A snapshot of the primary findings is below but the entire paper can be downloaded free of charge from HERE --> During September 2010, 24 handset vendors announced another 79 new handsets between them.

• Seven of these 79 new handsets, including both Motorola’s Flipside and Milestone 2 as well as the HTC 7 Pro, featured the increasingly popular combination of a full QWERTY keyboard and a 3-inch+ capacitive touchscreen.
• RIM’s BlackBerry Bold 2 9700 extended its lead at the top of our shelf-share analysis for Q3 2010, appearing on the handset portfolios of more carriers than any other model.

More detailed analysis of some of these key trends will feature here on this blog in the next few weeks. The above analysis is based on data from our SpecTRAX database which holds intelligence on over 11,000 handsets globally available. You can try the database tool (shown below) for yourself by registering HERE --> Steve Entwistle