Report: Handset shipments improve in third quarter, growth expected in Q4

Global handset shipments fell 4 percent year-over-year in the third quarter to 291 million units, an improvement compared to an average 11 percent decline for the previous three quarters, according to a new report from research firm Strategy Analytics.

Nokia continues to lead handset shipments, claiming 38.8 percent of the global market share. Number 2 Samsung breaks the 20 percent global market share mark, coming in at 20.7 percent. LG, Sony Ericsson, and Motorola took the next three spots, claiming 10.9 percent, 4.9 percent and 4.7 percent of the global market respectively. Apple continues to expand, having shipped 7.4 million iPhones and growing its market share to 2.5 percent.

The firm forecasts shipments of 300 million handsets in the fourth quarter, a 3 percent growth year-over-year.