Skip to main content

Low Cost Smartphones for the World's Poorest Citizens

The next one billion people on the planet who are first-time users of the internet will likely gain access via a smartphone, not a computer. Moreover, the internet offers them the prospect of new hope and socioeconomic advancement. Why? Many of these people are poor, very poor.

In most developing nations, the typical Android smartphone -- typically selling for $400 to $500 -- is way 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 operating system (OS) choice in the low-cost category, (the under-$150 segment) and that is Google Android. Besides, the only mobile service they can afford will most likely be pre-paid.

According to the latest market study by In-Stat, they now forecast 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 at In-Stat.

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.

In-Stat's latest market study insights include:
  • 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.
  • 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.

Popular posts from this blog

Securing the Future of Cellular IoT Apps

The Internet of Things (IoT) continues to expand. According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, they forecast a 90 percent growth in cellular IoT devices by 2028, with the global number reaching 6.5 billion. This exponential rise presents both exciting opportunities and significant challenges. While the growth of cellular IoT unlocks a vast potential for innovation in smart cities, industrial automation, and remote monitoring, it also requires device management and security advancements. Cellular IoT Market Development Juniper's research highlights the critical role of intelligent infrastructure management solutions. These platforms will empower the users to automate critical tasks such as device configuration, real-time security management, and optimized wireless connectivity. The surge in cellular data usage, projected to reach 46 petabytes by 2028 compared to 21 petabytes today, further underscores the need for automation. This is where federated learning i