Global uptake of low-cost smartphones is expected to increase significantly, as per ABI Research.
As per the research firm, shipments of these devices (with a wholesale actual selling price of below $200) will increase from 238 million in 2013 to 758 million by 2018. This growth is expected to be driven by India and other BRIC nations.
Another notable trend was that original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and telecom operators in both emerging and developing markets are increasingly focusing on this segment, which will give a further fillip. Interestingly, reference design solutions from Qualcomm and Mediatek are permitting regional and Chinese OEMs to offer dual and quad core smartphone solutions at or below $200.
By 2018, ABI Research estimates that low cost smartphones will account for 44 per cent of all smartphone shipments.
