Study says mid-range phone sales will fall by more than 41 per cent by 2014.
Juniper research claims that low-end and high-end phones will account for almost 79 per cent of all new handsets by 2014, or just over one billion units in all.
Operators and vendors are preparing to deal with a massive influx of new users from low-income groups in developing markets and a rising demand for complex ‘smart’ devices from affluent users in developed markets.
It says Nokia, Apple and RIM are well positioned to benefit while Sony Ericsson and Motorola are having to re-think their strategy.
Low-cost handset shipments will number more than 700 million in 2014, up by 31 per cent on 2008, while smartphone shipments will hit almost 360 million by the end of the period.
In 2008, the Indian Sub Continent region accounted for the majority (23 per cent) of low-cost handset sales: by 2014, the region will account for 22 per cent of sales.
Advertisement
