Global mobile phone sales grew by 6 per cent in 2008 despite a 5 per cent drop in the fourth quarter of the year.

Global mobile phone sales grew by 6 per cent in 2008 despite a 5 per cent drop in the fourth quarter of the year. According to research firm Gartner, about 1.22 billion handsets were shipped in 2008. Fourth quarter shipments dropped by 4.6 per cent on a year-on-year basis to 314.7 million units as manufacturers struggled against low consumer confidence. The top five global vendors experienced a year-on-year decline in sales for the quarter, although Nokia, Samsung and LG increased their market shares.