PHILADELPHIA -- Global smartphone shipments fell an estimated 1.2% year-over-year in the first quarter, says Canaccord Genuity's top tech analyst.

Sales were down dramatically on a sequential basis on typical seasonality reason and as many smartphone OEMs delayed new product launches until the June quarter in an attempt to capture sales versus potentially slowing iPhone 4S sales and ahead of the potential iPhone 5 launch, says Michael Walkley.

Total global smartphone unit estimates fell from 490.3 million in the December quarter to 137.7 million in the January quarter with all major OEMs selling significantly fewer phones, Walkley said.

February channel checks indicated stronger sell-through trends versus January levels in the US, with sales somewhat rebounding after a slow start to 2012, Walkley said.
During February, top-selling smartphones included Apple's iPhone 4S, Samsung's Galaxy S II, Motorola's Droid RAZR MAXX, and Samsung's Droid Nexus 4G LTE, and HTC's Amaze and Radar. iPhone 4S sales remained strong in the US and sell-through of the iPhone led to additional market share gains versus its competitors. The iPhone 4S also is selling well in international markets including Brazil, Russia, and China.