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According to Gartner in 2006, the company claimed over 21 per cent of the worldwide market for handsets. By the end of 2007, this figure had slipped to just over 14 per cent.
This 39 per cent plunge in sales in its mobile phone business was coupled with a total operating loss of $AUD 454 million, an almost 80 per cent greater loss than its $AUD253 million result last year.
These figures look even worse when one considers the fact that the global mobile phone actually grew by more than 14 percent last year.
And at the same time, its rival Nokia saw its own global market share expand to almost 40 per cent.
Some analysts have asked whether Motorola and its $20 billion mobile phone business can even survive.
In the fourth quarter of last year, its sales nose-dived 38 per cent, resulting in a $AUD1.3 billion loss for the division. This pushed Motorola into the red, setting the stage for its breakup plan.
