<P> From 1983 to 1998, Motorola was market leader in mobile phones . Nokia was the market leader in mobile phones from 1998 to 2012 . In Q1 2012, Samsung surpassed Nokia, selling 93.5 million units as against Nokia's 82.7 million units . Samsung has retained its top position since then . In Q2 2016, the top five manufacturers were Samsung (22.3%), Apple (12.9%), Huawei (8.9%), Oppo (5.4%), and Xiaomi (4.5%). </P> <P> The world's largest individual mobile operator by number of subscribers is China Mobile, which has over 500 million mobile phone subscribers . Over 50 mobile operators have over ten million subscribers each, and over 150 mobile operators had at least one million subscribers by the end of 2009 . In 2014, there were more than seven billion mobile phone subscribers worldwide, a number that is expected to keep growing . </P> <P> Mobile phones are used for a variety of purposes, such as keeping in touch with family members, for conducting business, and in order to have access to a telephone in the event of an emergency . Some people carry more than one mobile phone for different purposes, such as for business and personal use . Multiple SIM cards may be used to take advantage of the benefits of different calling plans . For example, a particular plan might provide for cheaper local calls, long - distance calls, international calls, or roaming . </P> <P> The mobile phone has been used in a variety of diverse contexts in society . For example: </P>

What is the main purpose of a cell phone