According to ABI Research, global shipments of low-cost handsets (priced below $250) are expected to increase from 259 million in 2013 to 788 million in 2018. This growth can be attributed to increasing uptake in prepaid and emerging markets.
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Meanwhile, the firm says that global shipments of mid-and-(priced below $400) high-range devices (priced above $400) will increase from 635 million to 925 million over the same period.
These devices, as per the firm, will continue to play an important role for mobile service providers looking to enhance their customer base.
Premium smartphones tend to carry advanced wireless connectivity and operators who are upgrading their network want to ensure that the handsets running on their network can deliver the best possible experience and customer satisfaction.
As smartphone penetration moves from early adopters to mass-market and laggard consumer segments, the firm says that the smartphone as a product will be less dependent on technical superiority, and more dependent on reliability and value.
