According to market research firm Gartner, the latest figures related to the market share of smartphones indicate that though Nokia is still the world's No. 1 mobile handset manufacturer, Apple and RIM are grabbing a large part of the high-end market share.

Noting a sizeable plunge in Nokia's market share, Gartner's Wednesday-released smartphone report showed the figures having fallen to 43.7 percent last year, as compared to 49.4 percent the year before.

The increased competition is pressurizing Nokia to tackle some niggling matters, like making improvements in its software and boosting product availability in the markets of North America, in order to retain its smartphone edge.

Taking steps in this direction last year, Nokia purchased the remaining shares that it did not own in Symbian - its operating system supplier. It has also contributed its Series 60 software, to a new open-source faction called the Symbian Foundation.

In addition, Nokia has also been developing an increased number of devices for the North American market, and is working towards striking significant deals with US operators by 2009 end for carting a few of its more advanced phones.

Talking about the prospective growth strategies that Nokia is looking at, Gartner's research director, Carolina Milanesi, said that Nokia's entry-level Symbian-based smartphones and its introduction of more Android-based smartphones are steps in the right direction!