2:05AM Nokia lost share in Q3 sales, Siemens gained - survey (NOK, MOT, ERICY, SI, ALA) by Emily Church
LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Nokia (NOK), the world's largest mobile handset maker, lost market share in the third quarter in Western Europe, in a climate of overall sales improving at a 23 percent sell-in rate on the year and up 7 percent on the quarter, according to a survey released Friday by Strategy Analytics. The consultancy noted demand for color and camera phones was mixed with continuing strong demand for low-end handsets. Siemens (SI) accounted for 17 percent of total volume, gaining share from Nokia, Motorola (MOT) and Alcatel (ALA), among others. Strategy Analytics has raised it full-year estimate for Western Europe handset sales to 125 million for 2003. "The third quarter has historically been slow for Nokia in Europe as the company typically positions product and marketing spend for the holiday season," SA said. "The combination of strong regional competition and this quarterly, company-specific dynamic has combined to create a 9 percent annual share loss for Nokia. Strategy Analytics expects Nokia to bounce back with a typically strong fourth quarter for Nokia. However, Strategy Analytics remains concerned that Nokia may be seeing signs of bar form factor fatigue in the saturated Western European market." |
