Handset Sales Growth Slowing
While consumers are expected to buy a record number of mobile phones this year, one analyst firm says sales aren't growing quite as fast this year, expecting just 6% growth over 2004 rather than the double-digit gains of the last few years. The analyst says the global market is maturing -- witness Portugal becoming the latest European nation to surpass 100% penetration, and news that there are now more mobile subscribers in the US than landline. But, in emerging markets like Russia, sales continue to grow quickly, highlighting the urgency with which handset vendors are trying to bring low-cost models to market.
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