Mobile Phone Shipments Rise 19 Percent In Third QuarterMobile Phone Shipments Rise 19 Percent In Third Quarter

Worldwide mobile phone shipments rose 19.1 percent in the third quarter year over year, driven by new products, new form factors, and portfolio refreshes, according to an IDC report released Thursday.

The market research firm said shipments increased sequentially 8.8 percent in the third quarter to reach 208.3 million phones shipped.

With 66.6 million phones shipped, Nokia maintained a firm grip on the top spot in the survey, finishing well ahead of Motorola, which shipped 38.7 million units. Other top suppliers were: Samsung, 26.8 million units shipped; LG Electronics, 15.5 million; and Sony Ericcson, 13.8 million.

“Last year, quarterly mobile phone shipments didn’t reach 200 million units untl the end of the fourth quarter when vendors were keeping the channels’ shelves stocked for the holiday rush,” said Ramon Llamas, research analyst for IDC’s Mobile Devices unit. “As vendors announced new products earlier this year and accelerated their time to market, we’ve already reached this milestone.”