Mobile market continues to soar

New research figures from IDC show the mobile phone market continued to grow during the second half of the year, with sales up 14.5%.

BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion did particularly well, recording a 40% increase in global shipments, according to the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.

“It’s not just smartphone vendors that have driven the market forward,” IDC analyst Ramon Llamas said in a statement

“It’s also the companies with a presence among entry-level handsets and mid-range devices, which have long been the domain of the worldwide leaders.”

Nokia managed to maintain its lead with 35% share, followed by Samsung at 20%, LG Electronics at 9.6%, RIM at 3.5% and Sony Ericsson at 3.5%. But these five companies might not be able to hold for long, Llamas said.

“The upward pressure from vendors outside the current top five vendors, particularly Apple and Motorola, will provide tough competition in the quarters to come.”