Nokia has whipped past the 40 per cent market share point, selling 437 million phones last year, which is almost as much as the combined total of its four biggest rivals, Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and LG.
The company has been doing particularly well in China and India where cheap, easy to use handsets are wanted. Average price of a Nokia handset in Q407 was Euros 83. It is estimated that of the three billion mobile phones in use in the world today, one billion are made by Nokia.
Sexy phones like the Razr and iPhone are finding widespread acceptance difficult.
Back in 2004, when Motorola’s Razr hit the market, Nokia had only 24 per cent market share.
The Razr sold 50 million units in two years, and drove Motorola’s market share up from 16.3 per cent in Q404 to 20.3 per cent in Q406. In Q4 07 that had slipped back to 12.4 per cent.
Only 3.4 million of the much vaunted Apple iPhones were sold last year
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I think this deserves an academic study. The similarities with US vs the Finns and Apple/Motorola vs Nokia go too far for it to be a coincidence.
Just consider:
sexy - boring
hot - no sense of humour
bling bling - easy of use
In fact, there really isnt a concept of "sexy" in the Finnish language.
Or maybe it´s the Technophone factor in Nokia, David?
Clearly a study is required, and clearly the only person who can understand the Finns is another Finn.
And since the Finn required for the study would also have to be able to understand the concepts of sexy, hot and bling, the choice is very limited.
Maybe, Veijo, you are the only guy who qualifies.
I'm from Finland too, but I think that is not important. What I see important in global phone sales it to be able to make phones that fit each country's markets. Obviously most phones sold in India or China are different than those sold in Western Europe or in USA. By having large selection of phones that people can choose from, Nokia has more opportunities to match what people want and can buy. In some markets the price is more important, in others it's the rich set of capabilities. But in the end, one needs to have variability and that means lots of where to choose from. This is how I think Nokia has been able to sell more phones than others do.
--Petri
David, for obvious reasons I will never qualify. Those concepts are way beyond me and you forgot the one, perhaps crucial, factor. The Technophone one.
Anyway, the answer will only reveal itself by a very good beer. That much I do know.
Then I am afraid the Finnish cellphone industry is doomed, because there's no decent beer in Finland
Im afraid you´re both right and wrong. Pretty much spot on the beer issue.
However the success of Nokia doesn´t require the study. Undertanding it might call for a study, but in a way it´s like a good beer: you can perfectly well enjoy it even if you have no clue how it´s done.
You are very wise, Veijo, those long dark snowy winters must facilitate philosophy, you are totally right, ignorance is bliss.