China continues to set the pace as the world's fastest-growing mobile phone market. In the first half of the year, the mainland sold 53 million handsets - the most by any country in Asia.
The mainland rang up US$9 billion worth of retail mobile phone sales during the period, according to a survey of 11 regional markets by research firm GfK Asia.
The phones tracked by Singapore-based GfK Asia included GSM, CDMA and Personal Handyphone of colour with camera, colour display without camera and monochrome display models.
It found the total volume of Asian market phone sales rose by about 36 per cent year on year from January to June, reaching about 107 million units.
That meant mobile phone sales in the region are well on the way towards meeting GfK Asia's previously published year-end forecast of 23 per cent year-on-year volume growth of about 241 million units.
Still, GfK Asia noted that Asia fell about 4 per cent short year on year in terms of retail market value, as first-half sales amounted to US$16.5 billion.
It said the top five handset brands in the first half were Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and LG Electronics.
