Canalys has released it's latest set of figures for the global smart mobile device in Q1 2006. Shipments up are 55% year on year with Nokia increasing its global market share to 54% with 8.6 million devices sold. This, together with strong performances from Mitsubishi and Sharp (4th and 5th in global sales respectively), gives Symbian its highest ever market share at 69%, with Microsoft second at 12%. Additionally the Asia-Pacific market has over taken the EMEA market in smart mobile device shipments.

Nokia's strong showing is helped by the performance of it's best selling Nokia N70 handset. Symbian's strong showing is headlined by Nokia's set, but underlined by it's increasing dominance in the Japanese market with the shipment of FOMA phones from Sharp, Sony Ericsson, Mitsubishi and Fujitsu.

Converged device continue to dominate the market with 75% growth. Nokia is in first place, with RIM in second and Sharp, Mitsubishi and Fujitsu taked 3rd, 4th and 5th places. The global handheld (PDA market) was down 25%.

The increase in device shipments in the Asia-Pacific region is to a large extent driven by the success of FOMA handset from Sharp, Mitsubishi and Fujitsu who between them are responsible for 17.7% of global converged device sales (or around 15% of global smart mobile devices). 

Canalys notes the market remains dominated by individual buyers rather than enterprises, but notes that with RIM putting it's legal trouble behind it, Nokia shipping it's Eseries devices and the advent of push email on Windows Mobile 5 this will likely chnage in the following quarters.