Cell phone sales in Q2 2009 may have dropped more than 10 percent from the same quarter last year but new numbers released by research firm IDC indicate that smartphone sales remain strong. Numbers reported from smartphone makers Apple, LG, RIM, Nokia and Samsung all indicate higher that expected sales where high-end devices are concerned.

Market shares were also gained and lost through the quarter as Samsung surged to earn an additional 4 percent of the market while giants such as Motorola, Nokia and Sony Ericsson fell 4 percent, 2 percent and 3 percent respectively.