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339 Million Low-Cost Android Smartphones to Ship Worldwide in 2015; Low-Cost Segment Prevents Android Market from Unifying Behind Ice Cream Sandwich, Says In-Stat(PR Web Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) October 20, 2011 In many parts of the world, the typical Android smartphone, selling for $400 to $500, is out of reach for many consumers that currently have a feature phone or perhaps no phone at all. These potential smartphone owners currently only have one OS choice in the low-cost category, (under-$150) and that is Android. New In-Stat (http://www.in-stat.com) research forecasts that unit shipments for low-cost Android smartphones will approach 340 million worldwide in 2015. “The low-cost Android handset segment will cause some fragmentation in the Android platform,” says Allen Nogee, Research Director. “Most low-cost Android smartphones are likely to be released with Android 2.2 or 2.3, since these versions are a good blend of features with modest memory and processor usage. The Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) step-up in memory and processor demands makes this release less attractive for low-cost Android devices.” Recent In-Stat research found: • The low-cost smartphone area is Android’s to lose. This market could get much more competitive, especially as other OS vendors begin to target the space. • The low-end low-cost smartphones generally stick with EDGE and processors running at 600MHz speeds or less, and a single-core EDGE chip sells for well under $10. For our purposes, low-cost means smartphones that are $150 or less. • Smaller phone manufacturers will sometimes purchase from the “gray market” where component manufacturers typically don't pay licensee fees, royalties, and taxes for the products they produce. • Early competitors in the market include Huawei, MicroMax, Motorola, Samsung, Spice, and ZTE. Recent In-Stat research Less is More: The Worldwide Emergence of Low-Cost Android Smartphones (#IN1104911WH) looks at the history of the low-cost smartphone market, and how we got where we are today. The report looks at Android in-depth and the problems that Google faces as it moves into the low-cost arena. The obstacles are also explored in-detail, as are the markets where low-cost Android smartphones will dominate. Forecasts include: • Smartphone shipments • Android smartphone shipments • Low-cost Android smartphone shipments by region • Bill of materials (BOM) for processor, touchscreen, other components • Country-by-country view of the smartphone market About In-Stat In-Stat’s market intelligence combines technical, market and end-user research and database models to analyze the Mobile Internet and Digital Entertainment ecosystems. Our insights are derived from a deep understanding of technology impacts, nearly 30 years of history in research and consulting, and direct relationships with leading players in each of our core markets. In-Stat provides its research through reports, annual subscriptions, consulting and advisory services to inform critical decisions. Technology vendors, equipment manufacturers, service providers and media companies worldwide rely on In-Stat to support critical business, product and technology decisions. About The NPD Group, Inc. The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,800 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, contact us or visit http://www.npd.com and http://www.npdgroupblog.com. Follow us on Twitter at @npdtech and @npdgroup. Contact: Allen Nogee, Principal Analyst Email: anogee(at)in-stat(dot)com; Phone: (480) 609-4538 Rick Vogelei, Marketing Manager Email: rvogelei(at)in-stat(dot)com; (480) 483-4476 # # # Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/In-Stat/NPD-Group/prweb8880719.htm (c) 2011 PRWEB.COM Newswire |