pre_text: management 2019s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations indemnification provisions : in addition , the company may provide indemnifications for losses that result from the breach of general warranties contained in certain commercial , intellectual property and divestiture agreements . historically , the company has not made significant payments under these agreements , nor have there been significant claims asserted against the company . however , there is an increasing risk in relation to intellectual property indemnities given the current legal climate . in indemnification cases , payment by the company is conditioned on the other party making a claim pursuant to the procedures specified in the particular contract , which procedures typically allow the company to challenge the other party 2019s claims . further , the company 2019s obligations under these agreements for indemnification based on breach of representations and warranties are generally limited in terms of duration , typically not more than 24 months , and for amounts not in excess of the contract value , and in some instances the company may have recourse against third parties for certain payments made by the company . legal matters : the company is a defendant in various lawsuits , claims and actions , which arise in the normal course of business . in the opinion of management , the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the company 2019s consolidated financial position , liquidity or results of operations . segment information the following commentary should be read in conjunction with the financial results of each operating business segment as detailed in note 12 , 2018 2018information by segment and geographic region , 2019 2019 to the company 2019s consolidated financial statements . net sales and operating results for the company 2019s three operating business segments for 2009 , 2008 and 2007 are presented below . mobile devices segment the mobile devices segment designs , manufactures , sells and services wireless handsets , including smartphones , with integrated software and accessory products , and licenses intellectual property . in 2009 , the segment 2019s net sales represented 32% ( 32 % ) of the company 2019s consolidated net sales , compared to 40% ( 40 % ) in 2008 and 52% ( 52 % ) in 2007. .
post_text: segment results 20142009 compared to 2008 in 2009 , the segment 2019s net sales were $ 7.1 billion , a decrease of 41% ( 41 % ) compared to net sales of $ 12.1 billion in 2008 . the 41% ( 41 % ) decrease in net sales was primarily driven by a 45% ( 45 % ) decrease in unit shipments , partially offset by an 8% ( 8 % ) increase in average selling price ( 2018 2018asp 2019 2019 ) . the segment 2019s net sales were negatively impacted by reduced product offerings in large market segments , particularly 3g products , including smartphones , and the segment 2019s limited product offerings in very low-tier products . on a product technology basis , net sales decreased substantially for gsm , cdma and 3g technologies , partially offset by an increase in net sales for iden technology . on a geographic basis , net sales decreased substantially in latin america , the europe , middle east and african region ( 2018 2018emea 2019 2019 ) and asia and , to a lesser extent , decreased in north america . the segment incurred an operating loss of $ 1.1 billion in 2009 , an improvement of 51% ( 51 % ) compared to an operating loss of $ 2.2 billion in 2008 . the decrease in the operating loss was primarily due to decreases in : ( i ) selling , general and administrative ( 2018 2018sg&a 2019 2019 ) expenses , primarily due to lower marketing expenses and savings from cost-reduction initiatives , ( ii ) research and development ( 2018 2018r&d 2019 2019 ) expenditures , reflecting savings from cost-reduction initiatives , ( iii ) lower excess inventory and other related charges in 2009 than in 2008 , when the charges included a $ 370 million charge due to a decision to consolidate software and silicon platforms , and ( iv ) the absence in 2009 of a comparable $ 150 million charge in 2008 related to settlement of a purchase commitment , partially offset by a decrease in gross margin , driven by the 41% ( 41 % ) decrease in net sales . as a percentage of net sales in 2009 as compared to 2008 , gross margin and r&d expenditures increased and sg&a expenses decreased . the segment 2019s industry typically experiences short life cycles for new products . therefore , it is vital to the segment 2019s success that new , compelling products are continually introduced . accordingly , a strong commitment to .
table: Years Ended December 31 Percent Change
table: (Dollars in millions) 2009 2008 2007 2009—2008 2008—2007
table: Segment net sales $7,146 $12,099 $18,988 (41)% (36)%
table: Operating earnings (loss) (1,077) (2,199) (1,201) (51)% 83%
question: Analyse this data from a financial earnings document. in 2009 what was the company 2019s consolidated net sales in billions