A pair of research reports shows second-quarter global handset shipments were still down, but not as much as some previous quarters.

Strategy Analytics reports that global mobile handset shipments fell 8 percent year-over-year, to reach 273 million units in the second quarter. The rate of decline was slower than the previous quarter, which was down 14 percent, and the fourth quarter, which was down 11 percent.

Researchers attribute the relative upturn to improved consumer confidence in some regions, such as China, and by partial restocking of some retailers’ depleted supplies.

Samsung grew worldwide shipments 14 percent during the quarter. LG Electronics shipped 29.8 million handsets worldwide during the second quarter, for a record market share of 11 percent. Motorola shipped a better-than-expected 14.8 million handsets worldwide in the second quarter, for 5 percent market share. Apple shipped a better-than-expected 5.2 million iPhones worldwide, for 1.9 percent market share.

Based on IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, handset vendors shipped a total of 269.6 million units worldwide, down 10.8 percent from 302.2 million units in the second quarter a year ago. The second quarter results are an improvement from the 17.2 percent decrease seen during the first quarter, according to IDC’s figures.

IDC says Nokia held a 38.3 percent global market share in the second quarter, followed by Samsung with 19.4 percent. LG had 11.1 percent, and Motorola had 5.5 percent. Sony Ericsson accounted for 5.1 percent share, and “others” totaled 20.7 percent.

For the full year, IDC believes that the market will decline 13 percent, with the market outlook for 2009 remaining relatively consistent among the top vendors. The small signs of improvement were centered around consumer demand for high-end handsets and the manufacturers’ ability to shift portfolio to meet those needs.