Worldwide handset sales decline about 9% while smartphones grow almost 13% in 1Q09, says Gartner (Digi Times)

Worldwide handset sales totaled 269.1 million units in the first quarter of 2009, a 8.6% decrease from the first quarter of 2008, according to Gartner. Smartphone sales surpassed 36.4 million units, a 12.7% increase from the same period last year.