Counterpoint Research team of Analysts have completed preliminary sizing of the global handset and smartphone market as few OEMs have already released their Q4 2013 performances. Following are our preliminary market share and rankings according to our quarterly Market Monitor service.

The key highlights of the quarterly performances so far include:

Market:

• Handset shipments to reach close to half a billion units for the Q4 2013 quarter (Growth 1% YoY)
• Smartphone shipments crossed 300 million units for the first time = The total smartphone shipped in entire 2010  (Growth 34% YoY.)
• Demand across North America remained soft while markets such as India saw healthy demand.
• Our Market Pulse data suggests healthy sell-out volumes for Apple, Nokia, LG but Samsung, ZTE and some others are showing signs of inventory build-up which could affect their Q1'13 performance

OEMs

Overall Mobile Phones

Source: Market Monitor 

• Alcatel One Touch closing on in for the fourth spot in global mobile phone rankings. Almost tied at 4% share with Huawei & LG. It still has robust feature phone business and growing smartphone volumes unlike LG & Huawei, North America market growth the key.
• Samsung almost peaking in the mobile phone market with flat annual growth and down sequentially from a peak. Feature phone volumes declining & smartphones under pressure
• Nokia down 24% annually as feature phone volumes continue to slide due to Android onslaught in sub $100 segment & smartphones not offsetting the decline
• Huawei about to peak in mobile phones as feature phones almost vanishing with gaining strong smartphone share in China, Latin America but postpaid markets growth softer
• LG's next target would be to cross 20 million per quarter mark, for that it needs to solve its weakening position in Asia, the high growth region

Smartphones

Source: Market Monitor

•  Samsung leads the pack shipping more smartphones than the next top three OEMs combined but growth is past peak as Apple is attacking in premium-tier and Chinese OEMs in low-tier segments
• Apple registered highest ever iPhone shipments the overall marketshare dipped as Apple grew below the market average due to focus in a stagnant premium-tier. Apple still can expand its share in premium segment over the next three to four quarters capturing lion share of industry profits
• Huawei maintained its third spot in global smartphone rankings with a flat marketshare. Moving up the tier increasing its ASP will be the key goal as well with its "affordable premium" strategy
• LG was the fastest growing OEM among the top 5 smartphone brands as the L-series helped expand volumes and rising G-series high-to-premium tier improve its top-line
• Nokia shipped 8.2 million Lumias but grew below the market average and the volumes were flat sequentially. The momentum has been slowed down due to absence of sub-$100, multi-SIM & killer premium smartphone models to succeed in important markets such as China & US respectively.