Nokia overtakes Palm and Compaq in European handheld market

Nokia has overtaken Palm and Compaq to become Western Europe's leading mobile data device vendor, according to a new study by British research firm Canalys.

In the third quarter it shipped 152,355 handheld units, amounting to 28.3% of the regional market.

The launch of Nokia 9210 Communicator meant that Nokia went into direct competition with the producers of personal digital assistants.

The third quarter saw an decline in sales in this sector, a decline which is expected to continue until next year.