New Delhi: Smartphones sales have declined globally as a result of the worldwide recession. The global smartphone market reached its weakest year-on-year growth in the third quarter of 2008 and high-end and luxury cell phone market sales have also been hit across the globe.

According to a report by Gartner, an information technology research and advisory firm, worldwide smartphone sales to end users totalled 36.5 million units in the third quarter of 2008, an 11.5 percent increase from the same period in 2007, reported Financial Chronicle.

Roberta Cozza, principal analyst at Gartner said, "Going forward, we should expect the smartphone device market to continue to grow but at a slower pace. Although leading mobile operators are subsidising more smartphones to reach lower prices, the operators tie the device to two-year contracts with monthly data plan rates, which remain too expensive for the mainstream user."

But the scenario in India is different as mobile phone vendors are yet to feel the slowdown heat in India. Sunil Dutt, country head for Samsung�s mobile business in India said, "Smartphones in India are getting popular and sales are increasing. Smartphones are gradually becoming common among the Indian masses. People in India are opting to use high-end phones and sales will go up."

Nokia maintained its position with 42.4 percent market share in the third quarter of 2008, but for the first time, it recorded a decline in sales of 3 percent year-on-year.

"The global slowdown has not seen any decline in sales in India, but the growth has definitely been impacted," said Ajay Sharma, country head, HTC India.