While it’s not the Q3 smartphones table, the latest numbers from IDC on global phone shipments make for interesting reading. As always, the devil is in the detail and you can argue this is good (or bad) news for any company, but Apple displacing Sony Ericsson will be a cause for celebration at Cupertino, especially as this is the first Top 5 table Sony Ericsson has not been in since this report started in 2004. Nokia is still on top of the pile with 32.4% market share on increased shipments of 1.8%, worldwide.

Of note in these phone figures:

• Nokia's overall world share is still rising, year on year, almost one third the phones sold in the world have their name on. And Nokia still, almost, sell as many phones as their next three competitors combined.
     
• Samsung's share is rising faster, Apple's faster still, albeit from a much smaller base.
     
• Apple's 4% world marketshare doesn't sound a lot, but it's impressive that they've achieved this with only smartphones, i.e. no feature phone in their line-up.
     
• RIM's Blackberry devices have seen a rise too, though being overtaken by Apple has got to hurt...
     
• The losers in the stats are LG and Sony Ericsson, plus Motorola, which must also dearly love to be back with the big boys....

As Ewan said in the opening paragraph, what will be more relevant and specific will be the figures for converged devices (smartphones) - these are expected in the next few days.

Steve and Ewan, AAS