Smartphone Sales Rocket By 43%

Web-enabled smartphones have seen sales soar by 43% this quarter when compared to the same period in 2009.

According to a Strategy Analytics report authored by Neil Mawston, sales of smartphones in the second quarter of 2010 hit a record 60 million units worldwide.

“Healthy operator subsidies, vigorous competition between premium tier vendors and a growing range of lower-cost models continued to drive the upswing.”

Whilst many mobile operators and manufacturers will no doubt be happy with the boom in smartphone sales, it isn’t good news for everyone. The report shows Apple have slipped from 16% to 15% market share when compared to Q1 2010.

Apple are still up on the same time a year ago, however, when its share was 12.5%, and these second quarter figures don’t include the iPhone 4 sales, which won’t impact until the third quarter, Cnet reports Mawston as stating.

Nokia still remains top, with a market share of 40%, followed by RIM holding a steady second place with 19%.