Doubts cast over handset sales figures
1 October 2003
Market researchers are confused by the widely different pictures of mobile phone sales given by different sets of statistics, according to Interfax. The figures published by the Ministry of Information Industry showed that the top-selling brand in the first half of this year was Ningbo Bird, with a market share of 15.1 per cent, followed by Motorola with 14.2 per cent, TCL with 11.6 per cent and Nokia with 9.7 per cent. These figures were compiled by the ministry from returns made by mobile phone vendors.
However, another set of unpublished statistics compiled by the ministry and based on the number of network access licences issued, gave Motorola 20 per cent, Nokia 19 per cent and Bird only 9 per cent.