Nokia on Wednesday announced that its 41-megapixel camera-equipped 808 PureView smartphone will begin rolling out later this month in Russia, India and additional unnamed markets. Nokia unveiled the impressive camera phone in February during the annual Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, Spain, and BGR took a hands-on look at the device during the show. While a 41-megapixel sensor coupled with Carl Zeiss optics place the handset in a league of its own, the 808 PureView is powered by the Symbian operating system, which Nokia is currently in the process of dumping in favor of Microsoft’s Windows Phone. ”PureView has completely raised the bar on imaging performance for the whole smartphone industry – and Nokia is not stopping here,” Nokia smartphone boss Jo Harlow said. “We’re going to carry on developing PureView for our future smartphones in ways that will again revolutionize the imaging experience.” Nokia’s full press release follows below.

Nokia to begin rolling out award-winning Nokia 808 PureView in May

Espoo, Finland - Nokia today confirmed that the Nokia 808 PureView will start rolling out in select markets in May. The Nokia 808 PureView is the first smartphone to feature Nokia’s award-winning PureView technology. PureView represents Nokia’s highest level smartphone imaging experiences, bringing together high-performance sensors, exclusive Carl Zeiss optics, and Nokia developed imaging algorithms. The first markets to begin selling the Nokia 808 PureView include Russia and India.

Since its launch in February, the Nokia 808 PureView has receivedmultiple awards, including Best Mobile Device at Mobile World Congress 2012, as well as an award for Best Imaging Innovation for 2012 from the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA).

“PureView has completely raised the bar on imaging performance for the whole smartphone industry – and Nokia is not stopping here,” said Jo Harlow, Head of Smart Devices at Nokia. “We’re going to carry on developing PureView for our future smartphones in ways that will again revolutionize the imaging experience.”

The Nokia 808 PureView features a large, high-resolution 41 megapixel sensor with high-performance Carl Zeiss optics and new pixel oversampling technology. At standard resolutions (2/3, 5 and 8 megapixels) this means the ability to zoom without loss of clarity and capture seven pixels of information, condensing into one pixel for the sharpest images imaginable. At high-resolution (38 megapixels maximum) it means the ability to capture an image, then zoom, reframe, crop and resize afterwards to expose previously unseen levels of details. With superior low-light performance and the ability to save in compact file sizes for sharing in email, MMS, and on social networks, the Nokia 808 PureView makes it possible for anyone to capture professional looking images in any conditions.

In addition to superior still imaging technology, the Nokia 808 PureView also includes full HD 1080p video recording and playback with 4X lossless zoom and the world’s first use of Nokia Rich Recording.  Rich Recording enables audio recording at CD-like levels of quality, previously only possible with external microphones. The Nokia 808 PureView also features exclusive Dolby Headphone technology, transforming stereo content into a personal surround sound experience over any headphones and Dolby Digital Plus for 5.1 channel surround sound playback.

Check out our Nokia 808 PureView photo gallery.

Google’s Android platform was the most popular mobile operating system in the world’s largest market for mobile phones last year. The platform’s market share grew nearly 35%, capturing 68.4% of the mobile market in China, Reuters reported on Tuesday citing research from Analysys International. Chinese Android manufacturers ZTE and Huawei helped propel the platform to new heights by offering low-cost devices via local wireless carriers. Google’s success came at the expense of Nokia, whose Symbian operating system share was cut in half to 18.7%. Apple’s iOS market share rose from 4.1% in the first quarter of 2011 to 5.7% in the fourth quarter, but the Cupertino-based company is expected to fare far better in 2012 due to high demand and new partnerships.

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Nokia is in store for yet another rough quarter according to Canaccord Genuity analyst Mike Walkley. The struggling Finnish phone vendor posted a massive €954 million operating loss last quarter, and Walkley thinks the company’s first quarter of 2012 could disappoint again. “We are lowering our estimates ahead of Nokia’s Q1/12 earnings report as our checks indicate weak Symbian sales, seasonally soft feature phone sales, and a slow ramp in Windows smartphones,” the analyst wrote, reiterating a Hold rating on shares of Nokia stock and lowering his price target to $5. Read on for more.

“Our global checks indicated mixed Lumia sales with price declines helping sales trends in Europe,” Walkley said. “However, our checks indicated extremely poor Symbian sales trends and seasonally soft feature phone sales, resulting in our lowered Q1/12 Devices and Services sales estimate from 4.9B to 4.7B.”

The analyst sees a potential upside for Nokia moving forward, though he does indicate that 2012 may be a make-or-break year for Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform. “While we believe global wireless carriers intend to diversify product portfolios and support Windows smartphones, we view 2012 as a critical year for the Windows ecosystem to gain market share,” Walkley wrote. “Given the investment necessary to grow the ecosystem, we view 2012 as a transitional year and anticipate a modest pro forma loss for Nokia.”

Over the past three months, Apple’s iOS operating system and Google’s Android mobile platform both continued to grow — according to comScore, they now account for a combined 80.3% of the U.S. smartphone market. The research showed that 234 million Americans aged 13 and older use mobile devices. Samsung is the most popular manufacturer with a 25.6% share of the U.S. mobile market, followed by LG with a 19.4% share and Apple with 13.5%. Motorola and HTC round out the top five with 12.8% and 6.3%, respectively. More than 104 million Americans now own smartphones, up 14% from November, with Google Android’s operating system surpassing a 50% market share for the first time ever. Apple’s iOS platform ranked second with 30.2% of the smartphone market, followed by RIM with a 13.4% share, Microsoft at 3.9% and Symbian with 1.5%. ComScore’s press release can be found after the break.

comScore Reports February 2012 U.S. Mobile Subscriber Market Share
Android Captures Majority Share of U.S. Smartphone Market

RESTON, VA, April 3, 2012 – comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released data from the comScore MobiLens service, reporting key trends in the U.S. mobile phone industry during the three month average period ending February 2012. The study surveyed more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers and found Samsung to be the top handset manufacturer overall with 25.6 percent market share. Google Android continued to grow its share in the U.S. smartphone market, crossing the 50-percent threshold in February to capture a majority share for the first time in its history.

OEM Market Share

For the three-month average period ending in February, 234 million Americans age 13 and older used mobile devices. Device manufacturer Samsung ranked as the top OEM with 25.6 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers, followed by LG with 19.4 percent share. Apple captured the #3 ranking in February with 13.5 percent of mobile subscribers (up 2.3 percentage points), followed by Motorola at 12.8 percent. HTC moved into the #5 position in February at 6.3 percent (up 0.4 percentage points).

More than 104 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones during the three months ending in February, up 14 percent versus November. Google Android’s share of the smartphone market eclipsed 50 percent in February, an increase of 17 percentage points since February 2011. Apple ranked second with 30.2 percent of the smartphone market (up 5 percentage points versus year ago), followed by RIM at 13.4 percent, Microsoft at 3.9 percent and Symbian at 1.5 percent.

In February, 74.8 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers used text messaging on their mobile device, up 2.2 percentage points. Downloaded applications were used by 49.5 percent of subscribers (up 4.6 percentage points), while browsers were used by 49.2 percent (up 4.8 percentage points). Accessing of social networking sites or blogs increased 3.1 percentage points to 36.1 percent of mobile subscribers. Game-playing was done by 32.3 percent of the mobile audience (up 2.6 percentage points), while 24.8 percent listened to music on their phones (up 3.1 percentage points).

Many industry watchers argue that software ecosystems now present one of the biggest hurdles to mobile platform owners looking to combat the mobile juggernauts that iOS and Android have become. BGR has been covering the issue for years, and in November 2010 we said that absent apps were a huge barrier for Microsoft as it re-entered the mobile space with Windows Phone. Now, nearly a year and a half later, the Windows Phone platform is being taken a bit more seriously by mobile developers, however the issue of getting premium apps onto the platform in a timely fashion persists. In an effort to combat this problem, Microsoft and Nokia have launched a new program aimed at attracting attention from emerging developers. Read on for more.

Nokia and Microsoft recently announced a new program called AppCampus. In association with Aalto University in Finland, the companies have devoted up to $12 million each that will fund developers at the university who build apps for Windows Phone and other Nokia platforms.

“The AppCampus program has been set up to foster the creation of innovative mobile applications for the Windows Phone ecosystem, and in addition, Nokia platforms, including Symbian and Series 40, to create a new generation of self-sustaining mobile startups,” the companies noted on the AppCampus website.

The program will kick off in May and will be managed by Aalto University, which Nokia has identified as a hotbed for new startups. “We are proud to announce this new program, which will enable new and existing developers to create next-generation mobile apps and unique user experiences,” Nokia EVP Kai Öistämö said in a statement. “The partnership will allow developers to ideate and monetize business opportunities globally, via both Windows Phone Marketplace and Nokia Store.”

Nokia’s upcoming Lumia 900 Windows Phone could be the first smartphone running Microsoft’s mobile operating system to really make a splash in the United States. BGR exclusively reported that the new flagship 4G handset will hit AT&T store shelves late next month alongside a massive marketing blitz and a big subsidy program that will leave the phone with a surprisingly low $99.99 price tag. As impressive as the Lumia 900 is shaping up to be, however, Nokia is apparently working on another smartphone with new technology that will blow us all away. Read on for more.

In an interview with Finnish newspaper Kauppalehti, Nokia design boss Marko Ahtisaari said that the company is currently working on a revolutionary new smartphone that will make other handsets seem dated.

According to the Nokia executive, Apple’s user interface on the iPhone is “poorly designed” and convoluted. “The road from the kitchen into the dining room is always through the front door,” Ahtisaari told Kauppalehti. Meanwhile, operating systems like Symbian and Android are described by the design veteran as “dollhouses,” with furniture users can pick and rearrange.

Microsoft’s Windows Phone is more natural according to Ahtisaari, and the mysterious new smartphone Nokia is building will apparently push the mobile platform even further into the future.

The executive wouldn’t provide any firm details regarding the device, but he didn’t hesitate to set sky-high expectations. The phone will feature breakthrough technology that revolutionizes the user experience according to Ahtisaari, and owners will not have to bend down or even touch the screen in order to operate it.

Ahtisaari’s brief description of the technology suggests some type heads-up technology, or perhaps voice-driven controls similar to Apple’s virtual assistant Siri or Microsoft Kinect. We’re not sure how revolutionary voice controls would be be considering how widely voice command technology will be used this year, however. Nokia declined to comment.

UPDATE: A Nokia spokesperson contacted BGR with additional details regarding some of Ahtisaari’s comments. The interface elements he described during his interview are in fact concepts Ahtisaari has been discussing since December 2010, when he spoke about them on stage at LeWeb. The spokesperson declined to comment on if or when these concepts might appear in a production device.

Hey folks. Following Nokia’s early morning press conference here in Barcelona, we got a litttttle bit of hands-on time with the freshly dropped Pureview 808. The software isn’t quite finished yet, but we did get some time to play with the audio recording and camera apps. Really cool stuff, and we can definitely see other manufacturers forced to follow suit. The handset features the flagship 41 megapixel camera, a 4″ screen, 512 mb of RAM with 16GB of onboard storage,  a 1.3 Ghz single core chip,  and a loft 450 Euro pricetag. Expect to see this sucker in May. Hit the link below to check out the gallery!

Information has been appearing in dribs and drabs about Nokia’s last Symbian smartphone, the Nokia 803, but a trusted source of ours has come through with some details that vary a bit from earlier reports. For starters, the Nokia 803 will run Symbian Belle and serve it up on a 4-inch AMOLED display instead of the smaller 3.5-inch screen that had been reported. An HDMI-out port, microSIM support and NFC are all a go as well. We have also been told that the Nokia 803 will feature one of the largest camera sensors — if not the largest camera sensor — ever seen on a mobile phone. The Nokia 803 is currently expected to be released in the May timeframe.

Smartphone shipments overtook client PC shipments for the first time in 2011, according to new data from market research firm Canalys. Vendors shipped a total of 158.5 million smartphones in the fourth quarter, representing a 57% increase compared to the 101.2 million units shipped in the same quarter a year earlier. Shipments for the full year of 2011 rose 63% to 487.7 million units, up from 299.7 million shipped in 2010. The PC market only grew 15% to 414.6 million units in 2011, which included an astonishing 274% increase in tablet shipments — tablets accounted for 15% of all PC shipments last year according to Canalys. The firm expects growth in the smartphone market to slow in 2012, with vendors putting more focus on profitability. Canalys’s press release follows below.

Smart phones overtake client PCs in 2011

•       Vendors shipped 488 million smart phones in 2011, compared to 415 million client PCs
•       Apple was the leading smart phone vendor in 2011, following record Q4 shipments

Palo Alto, Shanghai, Singapore and Reading – 3 February 2012

Canalys today released its full, detailed Q4 2011 country-level smart phone shipment estimates to clients, so completing the picture for the year. One notable result was that total annual global shipments of smart phones exceeded those of client PCs (including pads) for the first time.

Vendors shipped 158.5 million smart phones in Q4 2011, up 57% on the 101.2 million units shipped in Q4 2010. This bumper quarter took total global shipments for the whole of 2011 to 488.0 million units, up 63% on the 299.7 million smart phones shipped throughout 2010. By comparison, the global client PC market grew 15% in 2011 to 414.6 million units, with 274% growth in pad shipments. Pads accounted for 15% of all client PC shipments in 2011.

“In 2011 we saw a fall in demand for netbooks, and slowing demand for notebooks and desktops as a direct result of rising interest in pads,” said Chris Jones, Canalys VP and Principal Analyst. “But pads have had negligible impact on smart phone volumes and markets across the globe have seen persistent and substantial growth through 2011. Smart phone shipments overtaking those of client PCs should be seen as a significant milestone. In the space of a few years, smart phones have grown from being a niche product segment at the high-end of the mobile phone market to becoming a truly mass-market proposition. The greater availability of smart phones at lower price points has helped tremendously, but there has been a driving trend of increasing consumer appetite for Internet browsing, content consumption and engaging with apps and services on mobile devices.”

However, Canalys expects to see smart phone market growth slow in 2012 as vendors exercise greater cost control and discipline, and put more focus on profitability. Notably, even vendors who have focused on conquering the low-end of the market with aggressive pricing, such as Huawei, ZTE and LG, are now placing greater attention on the higher tiers. Flagship models aimed at raising selling prices and improving margins will feature more heavily this year.

Apple’s impressive end to the year resulted in it becoming the leading smart phone and client PC vendor in Q4 2011, with shipments of 37.0 million iPhones, 15.4 million iPads and 5.2 million Macs. It also smashed the record for the most smart phones shipped globally by any single vendor in one quarter, beating Nokia’s previous record of 28.3 million shipped in Q4 2010. Moreover, Apple’s performance meant that it displaced Nokia, for the first time, as the leading smart phone vendor by annual shipments. Apple shipped 93.1 million iPhones in 2011, representing growth of 96% over 2010. The iPhone 4S benefitted from pent-up demand resulting from the launch coming in October rather than June, but Apple’s overall volume was also buoyed by continued shipments of the now more aggressively priced iPhone 4 and 3GS models.

Samsung also finished 2011 with a flourish. It shipped 35.3 million smart phones in Q4 2011 under its own brand, bringing its total to 91.9 million for the year, compared to just 24.9 million in 2010. This excludes shipments of rebranded products, such as the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus, which Canalys counts under the Google brand. Samsung continued to spend big on marketing activities, and its strong product portfolio – particularly the Android-based Galaxy S II – performed well.

Despite a disappointing set of financial results, Nokia’s smart phone performance in the fourth quarter gave cause for optimism. It shipped 19.6 million smart phones, down 31% from the record high of a year earlier, but up 17% on Q3 2011. The total was helped by 1.2 million and 0.6 million shipments of its Windows Phone and MeeGo-based products respectively, as well as improved Symbian Belle volumes from competitively priced devices such as the Nokia 500, 700 and 701. Its total smart phone shipments for the year came in at 77.3 million globally.

“Its first Windows Phone products, the Lumia 800 and 710, along with the recently announced Lumia 900 through AT&T in the US, have improved the outlook for Nokia,” said Canalys Senior Analyst, Tim Shepherd. “They are well-designed, competitive devices that demonstrate innovation is still alive within Nokia. But the battle is not over and it has huge challenges ahead. Nokia must continue to build out its Lumia portfolio with devices tailored to address all price points and all the markets in which it aims to compete. It must hasten its transition from Symbian to Windows Phone around the world and, with Microsoft, promote and generate excitement for the platform and new products. And it must succeed in attracting more developers to build high quality, locally relevant apps.”

RIM’s demise in 2011 has been over played by some, with the company ending the year as the fourth largest smart phone vendor and delivering annual unit growth of 5%. “There is no denying that RIM has had a tough year,” said Canalys Principal Analyst, Pete Cunningham. “But when you consider that it is transitioning to a new platform it has done well to increase volume while remaining profitable; the latter point being something that many other vendors struggle with. The appointment of Thorsten Heins as CEO will bring new energy to the company while ensuring that it does not radically deviate from its overall strategy in this transitional year. However, 2012 will become even more competitive and RIM needs BlackBerry 10 devices out there to ensure it retains its status as a major player.”

At a platform level, Android accounted for 52% of global smart phones shipments in Q4 2011, with iOS representing 23% and Symbian 12%. Android was also the leading smart phone platform by volume for the whole year, accounting for 49% of all devices shipped in 2011 and ahead of iOS with 19% share and Symbian with 16%. Collectively, Android smart phone shipments grew 149% year on year in Q4 2011 to 81.9 million units, resulting in a total of 237.8 million for the full year, up 244% on 2010. Samsung’s success and focus on Android have contributed substantially to the growth of the platform, but other vendors, such as Sony Ericsson, Huawei, Motorola, LG and particularly HTC, have also seen significant growth in their Android volumes over the course of 2011.

ComScore released its most recent U.S. Mobile Subscriber Market Share report for the three-month period ending in December, 2011. The research firm found that Samsung remained the top mobile phone vendor in the fourth quarter with a 25.3% market share — the same share as it held in the third quarter. LG’s market share dropped 0.6 percentage points to a 20% share for second place followed by Motorola, which fell 0.5 percentage points to 13.3%. Apple had the fourth largest share with a 12.4% market share, up 2.2 percentage points, and RIM fell 0.4 points to a 6.7% share. Read on for more.

Android remains the most used smartphone operating system in the United States with a 47.3% share of the market, up 2.5 percentage points from the last report. Android is followed by iOS, which grew 2.2 points to a 29.6% share, BlackBerry OS, which fell 2.9 points to a 16% share, Microsoft’s mobile Windows platform (4.7%, down 0.9 percentage points) and Symbian (1.4%, down 0.4 percentage points). ComScore did not distinguish whether or not Microsoft’s share represented Windows Phone, Windows Mobile or both.

ComScore said that 97.9 million U.S. residents owned a smartphone during the three months ended December 2011, which represents 40% of all mobile subscribers. The firm also said 234 million Americans aged 13 and older own a mobile device. The company’s full press release follows below.

comScore Reports December 2011 U.S. Mobile Subscriber Market Share

Smartphone Penetration Climbs Over 40 Percent during December Holiday Shopping Season

RESTON, VA, February 2, 2012 – comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released data from the comScore MobiLens service, reporting key trends in the U.S. mobile phone industry during the three month average period ending December 2011. The study surveyed more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers and found Samsung to be the top handset manufacturer overall with 25.3 percent market share. Google Android strengthened its lead in the smartphone market to reach 47.3 percent market share.

OEM Market Share

For the three-month average period ending in December, 234 million Americans age 13 and older used mobile devices. Device manufacturer Samsung ranked as the top OEM with 25.3 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers, followed by LG with 20 percent share and Motorola with 13.3 percent share. Apple continued to gain ground in the OEM market with 12.4 percent share of total mobile subscribers (up 2.2 percentage points), while RIM rounded out the top five with 6.7 percent share.

Top Mobile OEMs 3 Month Avg. Ending Dec. 2011 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending Sep. 2011 Total U.S. Mobile Subscribers (Smartphone & Non-Smartphone) Ages 13+ Source: comScore MobiLens
	Share (%) of Mobile Subscribers
	Sep-11	Dec-11	Point Change
Total Mobile Subscribers	100.0%	100.0%	N/A
Samsung	25.3%	25.3%	0.0
LG	20.6%	20.0%	-0.6
Motorola	13.8%	13.3%	-0.5
Apple	10.2%	12.4%	2.2
RIM	7.1%	6.7%	-0.4

Smartphone Platform Market Share

97.9 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones during the three months ending in December, representing 40 percent of all mobile subscribers. Google Android ranked as the top smartphone platform with 47.3 percent market share, up 2.5 percentage points from September. Apple maintained its #2 position, growing 2.2 percentage points to 29.6 percent of the smartphone market. RIM ranked third with 16 percent share, followed by Microsoft (4.7 percent) and Symbian (1.4 percent).

Top Smartphone Platforms 3 Month Avg. Ending Dec. 2011 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending Sep. 2011 Total U.S. Smartphone Subscribers Ages 13+ Source: comScore MobiLens
	Share (%) of Smartphone Subscribers
	Sep-11	Dec-11	Point Change
Total Smartphone Subscribers	100.0%	100.0%	N/A
Google	44.8%	47.3%	2.5
Apple	27.4%	29.6%	2.2
RIM	18.9%	16.0%	-2.9
Microsoft	5.6%	4.7%	-0.9
Symbian	1.8%	1.4%	-0.4

Mobile Content Usage

In December, 74.3 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers used text messaging on their mobile device, up 3.2 percentage points. Downloaded applications were used by 47.6 percent of subscribers (up 5.1 percentage points), while browsers were used by 47.5 percent (up 4.6 percentage points). Accessing of social networking sites or blogs increased 3.8 percentage points to 35.3 percent of mobile subscribers. Game-playing was done by 31.4 percent of the mobile audience (up 2.6 percentage points), while 23.8 percent listened to music on their phones (up 2.9 percentage points).

Mobile Content Usage 3 Month Avg. Ending Dec. 2011 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending Sep. 2011 Total U.S. Mobile Subscribers (Smartphone & Non-Smartphone) Ages 13+ Source: comScore MobiLens
	Share (%) of Mobile Subscribers
	Sep-11	Dec-11	Point Change
Total Mobile Subscribers	100.0%	100.0%	N/A
Sent text message to another phone	71.1%	74.3%	3.2
Used downloaded apps	42.5%	47.6%	5.1
Used browser	42.9%	47.5%	4.6
Accessed social networking site or blog	31.5%	35.3%	3.8
Played Games	28.8%	31.4%	2.6
Listened to music on mobile phone	20.9%	23.8%	2.9

Enterprise mobile vendor Good Technology published a new study on Thursday revealing iOS’s massive market share in the corporate world. The iPad accounted for 96% of all tablets in the fourth quarter according to the firm, while the iPhone accounted for 53% of all smartphones activated by more than 2,000 companies using Good’s services in the fourth quarter. Good provides push messaging, device management and security products for corporate mobile users, competing against RIM’s BlackBerry Enterprise Server. The company supports Windows Mobile, Symbian, iOS and Android. Apple’s iOS platform rose from 65% to 71% of Good’s business in the fourth quarter, and the iPhone 4S led the way, accounting for 31% of all smartphone models. The top Android device was Samsung’s Galaxy S II, and both Windows Phone and Symbian were pushed out of the top-10 last quarter. Half of Fortune 100 companies use Good’s services, with just over a third of all mobile device activations made by the financial services industry. Good’s full press release follows below.

Usage of Apple’s iOS platform and Google’s Android operating system both declined between November and December as BlackBerry and Symbian both showed gains. Despite huge activations over the holidays, new data released by analytics firm Net Applications shows that Internet usage of iOS on Apple’s iPhone and iPad displayed the sharpest decline in December, dropping to 52.10% from 54.04% in November. Google’s Android platform on smartphones and tablets dipped less than half a point to 16.29% in December but it stayed in the No.3 spot as Java ME gained more ground, climbing to a 21.27% share last month. Also showing usage gains in December were RIM’s BlackBerry platform, up to 3.51% from 3.18% in November, and Symbian, which climbed to 5.76% from 5.27% a month earlier. A chart outlining Net Applications’s data follows below.

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Usage of Android-based devices has exploded in Nordic countries over the past few months and is set to push Symbian into the No. 3 spot among mobile platforms in the region. Apple’s iPhone managed to knock Symbian out of the top spot some time ago, and according to data from mobile analytics firm CEM4Mobile Solutions, Android usage has grown 6.2% in the region since May while Symbian usage slid 1.7%. Based on the firm’s monitoring of usage in the region, iOS held a 33% share in September while Symbian sat at 29% and Android followed closely behind with 28%. In August, Android briefly surpassed Symbian before usage of the latter gained two points last month. CEM4Mobile Solutions says Android usage across the Nordic region will overtake Symbian in October, and iOS will be the next to fall by the end of December despite the launch of Apple’s next-generation iPhone 4S in multiple Nordic countries later this month. The firm’s full press release follows below.

CEM4Mobile: Android on Track to Take the Pole Position

ESPOO, Finland, October 24, 2011/PRNewswire/ –

New Research and a Forecast: iOS Leading, Android and Symbian Head to Head

Over the past several years Finland’s and the world’s leading supplier of Mobile Analytics and Customer Experience Management (CEM) for mobile content and value-added services, CEM4Mobile Solutions, has been monitoring the different trends in the mobile market. The past year has shown extremely strong growth for the market share of Android OS based devices when analyzed from usage of mobile services. Prior to the forthcoming significant product launches from Nokia, Microsoft, Apple, Samsung, Google and others, it was time to revisit and update our research on mobile platform market shares.

The previous research was carried out earlier this year. The research included data from week 4 / 2010 to week 5 / 2011 by using a sample based on 97 million mobile transaction page loads from Nordic mobile services. The research analyzed actual mobile traffic collected by CEM4Mobile analytics. The survey was done and published because reliable market data is essential for companies developing and distributing mobile services. Further to this, the insight shed light on how different mobile platforms encourage people to use mobile services.

Back in February, we predicted that Android will become the market leader in the Nordic countries. We also forecasted Android to overtake Symbian in August 2011, and it did for couple of weeks, but Nokia has managed to resist the decline in its market shares with new handset releases and improved versions of Symbian. Nevertheless, iOS has managed to obtain the lead position particularly due to the platform’s high popularity in Denmark and Sweden leaving Android and Symbian at even market shares in September. However, all operating systems are in the same ballpark having 28-33% of the market share.

Through all of the competition, Android has shown in the last five months a strong average market share change increase of 6.16% per month. This combined with Apple iOS’s slight drop of -1.46% and Symbian’s drop of -1.70% per month suggest that it won’t be too long before Android climbs to the top position.

The changes in operating system market shares

This update was based on 21 million transaction sample of mobile browsing services page loads from May to September 2011 from Nordic countries. The research revealed that the operating system market shares have evolved during the last months as follows:

   Platform       May   June  July  August September  Avg. % Change

   Apple iOS      35 %  35 %  32 %   34 %    33 %       -1.46 %
   Symbian OS     31 %  30 %  29 %   27 %    29 %       -1.70 %
   Android        22 %  24 %  26 %   28 %    28 %        6.16 %
   Nokia OS        5 %   5 %   5 %    5 %     5 %       -0.77 %
   SonyEricsson    3 %   3 %   3 %    3 %     2 %       -5.47 %
   Samsung OS      2 %   1 %   2 %    1 %     1 %       -2.49 %

Table 1. Mobile Operating System Market Shares from Scandinavian Mobile Browsing Services (Source: CEM4Moible Solutions Ltd. 2011)

The results are showing all platforms are continuing to lose market share to Android which is showing steady strong growth on mobile services. Despite the trend, Apple iOS still had a 4% lead on the other platforms as of September. The graph attached and the article in our blog at http://www.cem4mobile.com/blog/ depicts the same values visually over the 5 month period.

“It remains to be seen how much the unfortunate recent loss of Apple’s founder Steve Jobs will impact Apple’s performance, how much the recent patent disputes will slow down the adoption of Android and at which point Nokia’s and Microsoft’s effort on Windows Phone 7 start impacting the trends”, comments Janne Aalto, the CEO of CEM4Mobile Solutions Ltd.

Forecast: Android to overtake Symbian in October and Apple iOS in December 2011

A forecast was made based on the trend in page loads over the past 5 months from May to August 2011. The average percentage changes for this period were as follows:

    Operating system    Change
    Android OS           +6.16%
    Symbian OS           -1.70%
    Apple iOS            -1.46%
    Nokia OS             -0.77%
    SonyEricsson OS      -5.47%
    Samsung OS           -2.49%

If this trend continues unchanged, Android looks set to overtake Symbian again in October 2011 and Apple iOS by the end of December 2011. Without any major movements in the OS market, Android will continue to grow towards our forecast of nearly 38% of the market by the end of Q1 / 2012.

Nokia took the wraps off of the Nokia 603 on Thursday, a Symbian Belle-powered smartphone that will target first-time smartphone users. The 603 is equipped with a 3.5-inch ClearBlack display, a 1GHz processor, GPS, Wi-Fi and a 5-megapizel camera. It also comes with a near-field communications (NFC) chip for syncing with accessories or tapping another user’s phone to share contacts, photos or movies. The 603 is expected to launch during the fourth quarter of this year for €200 before taxes and su. It will be available in black and white and can be purchased with a variety of colorful battery covers. Read on for the full press release from Nokia.

Latest Nokia Symbian Belle smartphone and new Nokia Luna Bluetooth Headset bring NFC to mass market

Istanbul, Turkey and Espoo, Finland – Nokia today announced the Nokia 603, a colourful, affordable, no compromise smartphone preloaded with the latest apps and featuring single-tap pairing, sharing and tag reading with NFC. Alongside the Nokia 603, the daringly-designed Nokia Luna Bluetooth Headset completes the NFC-enabled easy pairing experience in an affordable package.

The Nokia 603 is designed to appeal to first time smartphone users and those upgrading from older products, particularly existing users of Nokia smartphones who will welcome a device that offers all the latest technology and features in a package that is still uniquely Nokia.

This latest smartphone exemplifies Nokia’s belief that affordability should not compromise the quality of the experience. The Nokia 603 offers a seamless, compact design that makes the most of the durable 3.5 inch ClearBlack, scratch-resistant display, optimized for use in sunlight. Exceeding expectations for its EUR 200 price-tag*, the Nokia 603 comes preloaded with Maps, the latest social networking games and apps, and the ability to capture, edit and share photographs, all with great graphics performance thanks to the fast graphics processor in the device. The Nokia 603 also makes NFC innovation accessible to more people with the ability to share content, pair with accessories like the Nokia Luna Bluetooth Headset, and unlock new experiences, such as unseen levelson Angry Birds.

“The Nokia 603 continues the renewal of our smartphone range with products that are uniquely matched to the needs of people around the world,” said Tuula Rytila, Senior Vice President, Nokia. “Whatever the price-point, our aim is to ensure all Nokia smartphones are crafted for use, have Nokia’s trusted quality, are better connected, and contain unexpected surprises like the ability to tap to pair and share with NFC.”

Featuring the latest Symbian Belle software, the Nokia 603 also benefits from up to six customizable homescreens and dynamic live widgets for improved personalization and prioritization of your favourite content.

The Nokia 603 is available in black and white with a choice of back covers in six different colors: black, white, fuchsia, green, yellow and blue. The Nokia Luna Bluetooth Headset is available in black, white, fuchsia, green and cyan. Both products are expected to start shipping in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Nokia’s situation may not be quite as “dire” as initially anticipated according to RBC Capital Markets analyst Mark Sue. Despite Nokia’s rough second-quarter earnings, which were called “clearly disappointing” by Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, Sue sees Nokia in a better position than most. In a note to investors on Friday, the analyst reiterated his Outperform rating on Nokia stock and set a price target of $9. Sue increased his third-quarter unit shipment estimate to 100 million devices from his earlier estimate of 89 million, noting that sales of Nokia’s Symbian devices will likely not drop off as rapidly as had been expected. ”Nokia may be seeing better trends for its dual-SIM devices and less of a decline in its traditional Symbian devices than originally expected,” Sue wrote. “Feedback on Nokia’s new Windows device may be encouraging and we expect Nokia to launch on schedule before the holiday season.” The analyst expects Nokia to announce its first Windows Phone handset, which he says will be based on the N9, at its annual Nokia World show in late October.