We’ve already crossed the half-way point of 2009, and it’s right about now when the sales figures for Q2 start trickling in. Let's take a look at the first two who companies have released their performance metrics for Q2, Nokia and Sony Ericsson.
Industry leading Nokia still managed to ship 103.2 million handsets in Q2 which is 11% better than Q1. Likewise, net sales were also up by 7% compared to the previous quarter. They also improved in the global market share from 37% in Q1 to 38% in Q2 thanks in part to the success of phones such as the 5800 XpressMusic (6.8 million sold) and the E71 (5 million sold since launch). However, despite all these positive figures, profit was down by a staggering 66% compared to the same period last year, and net sales dropped 25% to €9.9 billion year over year. Of course, last year they didn’t have the global crunch working against them, but still, these dismal figures won’t certainly appease any CEO who’s aiming to stay at the top of the game.
Sony Ericsson, meanwhile, has less to be cheery about. They only managed to ship around 13.8 million phones this year which is almost just half of what they were able to achieve the same time last year with 24.4 million phones sold. Compared to Q1, it’s down by a significant 14.5%. As far as their income goes, Sony Ericsson lost €213 million in Q2 alone. So where’s the good part in all this? Well, compared to the €293 million they lost in Q1, things are looking a little less disappointing this time around albeit still being in the negative.
Based on these Q2 figures, it seems that the slightly improving condition of the global economic crisis over the past few months has done little to help these industry giants out. Will Samsung and LG post similar disappointing figures for Q2? We'll probably soon find out, but considering their performance in the previous quarters, we won't be surprised if they've received positive growth despite the unfavorable market conditions.
