Symbian continues phone domination

Symbian's share of the smartphone market has led to a 54 percent revenue gain

Symbian continues to lead the smartphone market with over 12.3 million Symbian-based handsets shipped during the second quarter of 2006, according to the firm. Symbian itself saw revenues grow by 54 percent to £41.2 million during the same period.

The first half of 2006 saw a growth in the range and variety of services made possible by phones based on Symbian OS, according to chief executive Nigel Clifford. He said that such services are contributing to a new smartphone lifestyle, with the devices enhancing the way people work as well as enjoy their leisure time.

Symbian handsets made up 92 percent of all 3G smartphones shipped during Q2 of 2006, the firm said. Licensees shipped 23 new phones running Symbian OS during the same period, with five new models announced during the quarter yet to ship, including Nokia's E50 business-focused handset.

In July, Symbian unveiled the latest version of its platform, Symbian OS 9.3, which is designed to boost performance and adds support for smartphones with integrated Wi-Fi. Handsets running this are not expected until 2007, however.